Barely three months after the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup final, FIFA has published a comprehensive report detailing social media abuse, revealing that the Argentina national football team was the primary target of online hate speech during the tournament.

According to TyC Sports, instances of hostile messaging against the team escalated as the tournament progressed.

Published on the eve of World Mental Health Day, the study was conducted by the Social Media Protection Service (SMPS) and analyzed data collected between June 9 and July 20, 2026.

Researchers evaluated over 17.1 million posts and comments across platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Following Argentina, the national teams subjected to the highest volume of abusive attacks were England, Spain, Brazil, and Norway.

A significant portion of the hostility directed at Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni revolved around allegations of favorable refereeing decisions.

While Argentina ranked first in terms of overall team-directed abuse, its players ranked fourth on the list of individually targeted athletes—behind players from France, England, and Portugal.

A major portion of individual attacks involved racism, with several players of African descent specifically targeted.

Authorities withheld the identity of the most harassed individual player at the tournament, noting that the athlete faced a barrage of racist, homophobic, misogynistic, and anti-transgender abuse.

The report also highlighted xenophobic attacks, which primarily targeted South Africa, Argentina, and England, focusing heavily on themes surrounding immigration, national identity, and squad selection.

However, Argentine fans were also perpetrators of online abuse. The report noted that Argentina ranked highest in originating racist messages.

Regionally, Europe accounted for the largest share of general abusive attacks, followed by South America.

Match officials faced some of the most severe threats during the World Cup. Referees were the main targets of "doxxing"—the malicious practice of leaking private personal information online to encourage further harassment.

Attacks against referees were largely fueled by allegations of corruption and match-fixing, ranging from post-match grievances over refereeing decisions to targeted online privacy breaches.
Source: TyC Sports