FIFA logs 240K abusive posts at 2026 World Cup, up 11% from group stage

FIFA's monitoring detected 240,000 offensive social media comments during the 2026 World Cup, an 11% increase over the group stage. The rise indicates escalating online abuse targeting players and officials, though the source is a single report and the detection methodology is not detailed. This matters as it highlights the growing scale of cyber harassment in major sporting events and pressures platforms and governing bodies to act.