News

Campaigners have criticised Fifa after it appeared to drop anti-racism messaging at the Club World Cup, with some suggesting it may be connected to the policies of US President Donald Trump.

Fifa backed ‘no discrimination’ armbands at the Qatar 2022 World Cup and last month hailed a new disciplinary code “to fight racism more efficiently and decisively”.

So far however, such sentiments seem to have been absent during matches at the revamped competition in the US, with the governing body instead promoting a ‘Football Unites the World’ campaign.

Fifa has not commented on a report in The Athletic that promotional material for a ‘no racism’ campaign was prepared for the Club World Cup, but then not used.

Piara Powar, executive director of campaign group body Fare, said: “It is disappointing that it appears there will be no anti-discrimination messaging throughout the Club World Cup.

“In the past such messaging has been well received by supporters, players and civil society.

“It’s more than a shame that a message of inclusion can’t be broadcast to the world, and that those of us who are stakeholders in this area haven’t been informed.

“We know that the US government is volatile and the need for pragmatism is a factor, but the iteration of consistent and progressive values by Fifa is so important.”

Since assuming office in January, Trump has directed the federal government to end its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes, and several large US companies have ended or scaled back theirs.

In a statement, a Fifa spokesperson said: “‘Football Unites the World’ is Fifa’s main global campaign, which is displayed in all Club World Cup stadiums before and during the matches, as well as on Fifa’s social platforms.

“Fifa has a firm, zero-tolerance stance against all forms of discrimination and racism.

“This commitment was recently reinforced through the unanimous approval by the Fifa Council of the revised Fifa Disciplinary Code, which introduces new measures to fight racist abuse – including increased minimum bans for racist incidents and enhanced financial penalties.

“The three-step anti-discrimination procedure – a protocol designed to address and respond to discriminatory behaviour by empowering referees to take escalating action when such incidents occur among fans or participants – is also in effect at the Club World Cup.

“Fifa’s social media protection service is also being made available to clubs, players, and officials.

“Further activities to reinforce Fifa’s anti-discrimination stance will be implemented in due course.”

Evan Whitfield, the chair of the Human Rights Soccer Alliance (HRSA), a US group of former players, lawyers and grassroots organisations, said: “We are disappointed that Fifa has taken a step back from the anti-discrimination messaging that was communicated at the last few global competitions.

“Soccer exists in a space where the values of non-discrimination and inclusion are clear, but they need to be consistently underlined to the world.

“A basic message of football unites the world doesn’t achieve this clearly enough.

“Fifa is a global organisation that should have consistent values regardless of the country in which it organises competitions.

“If Fifa can have strong messaging in Russia, Qatar, New Zealand and Australia, then the same should apply in the United States. This is a soccer issue, regardless of the administration in power in the host country.”

At the weekend, Los Angeles-based side Angel City wore shirts reading ‘Immigrant City Football Club’ before their National Women’s Soccer League home game against North Carolina.

The players’ show of support was a response to the ongoing raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the resulting protests in LA.

Anti-discrimination body Kick It Out said: “Fifa’s apparent decision to drop its anti-discrimination messaging at the Club World Cup is concerning, especially after highlighting the importance of tackling the issue in its recent campaigns.

“As has been demonstrated by Angel City, football has a unique power in bringing communities together, and visibility of Fifa’s anti-discrimination campaigns while the world is watching is crucial in helping this cause.

Tennis players have demanded more action to stop “dangerous” abuse from the “dark side” of social media with calls for the introduction of identity verification after Britain’s Katie Boulter laid bare the extent of the issue.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Boulter said that receiving abusive content and death threats has become “the norm” for athletes and that “it becomes more apparent every single time you go on your phone”.

She shared messages including one that read “Hope you get cancer” and another that referenced damaging her “grandmother’s grave if she’s not dead by tomorrow”.

Speaking after her round-of-32 defeat to Francesca Jones at the Nottingham Open on Tuesday, British number four Harriet Dart called for the introduction of identification measures when creating social media accounts.

“The amount of abuse that we all get is pretty mind-blowing,” Dart said.

“The WTA are obviously trying to do something about it with the Threat Matrix system, but until Instagram verify ID or something, sadly, people can keep reopening accounts.”

Boulter’s partner and world number 12 Alex de Minaur said that an increasing number of athletes do not deal with their own social media accounts because of abuse.

“There is a lot of good that comes out of it [social media], but there is also a dark side,” he said.

Speaking before she faces Boulter in the last 16 at Nottingham on Wednesday, British number three Sonay Kartal called for collective action.

“These people can just create endless accounts. And I don’t necessarily know who is to be held responsible, I don’t think it’s solely one person,” she said.

“If I can help report it, if WTA can help report it, we’ll come together and try our best to eliminate it. I think that’s the best way to get rid of it.”

Figures provided by data science firm Signify, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) – show that, in 2024, about 8,000 abusive, violent or threatening messages were sent publicly to 458 tennis players through their social media accounts.

But for Dart, social media abuse goes far beyond tennis.

“This isn’t just a tennis issue,” she said. “This is a global issue, and it’s not just a sport issue. It’s everywhere. It’s even regular people who I’m sure get trolled or whatever by certain people or individuals.

“We live in the 21st Century, and are we not ID-ing people on social media. You can connect people, and then people can be found and stuff. Because it’s pretty horrific, the abuse that all of us get. That’s why I feel like a lot of the time, social media can be like a big negative.

“We also have very impressionable young females, young males on social media these days. I am an experienced athlete who’s gone through this for a very, very long time. I know what they say to me doesn’t mean anything.

“But for people who are a lot younger and inexperienced, I think it can be very worrying and very dangerous too.”

British men’s number one Jack Draper shared Boulter’s concerns about future generations.

“I think we’re lucky enough to maybe have grown up into social media, whereas, you know, the generation coming up are growing up with it,” he said.

“So they know nothing different. I think it’s so easy to spread online hate. It’s not easy, especially, I think she said, when you’re younger and you lose a match or something, and you come into the professional tour and getting all this abuse saying they will come around your house and do this and that. It’s not nice.”

World men’s number two Carlos Alcaraz said he does not look at social media after he loses because abuse is “difficult to deal with”.

“I have seen a lot of players that have received a lot of messages from the gamblers, from the people,” he said.

During a media conference on Tuesday, Boulter said she has received hundreds of messages of support since opening up about her online abuse.

“I looked on my phone this morning, and literally there are hundreds of messages of people reacting to it, and every single person was just telling me to disregard it,” she said.

“And [they were saying] how much they love me and how much they appreciate me bringing this subject into light, and they weren’t aware of it.

“I just don’t think people are aware of it. I don’t think people realise how much that actually happens to players. I think you kind of see what you want to see.”

The 28-year-old also offered to support young female players who are struggling with online abuse.

“I am trying to raise awareness for it, and if any of those girls feel like they want to talk to me about it, I would be more than happy to do so at any point about anything,” Boulter said.

Social media identification measures are often suggested to combat abuse, but according to a report published by Ofcom – the UK’s online safety regulator – such controls are difficult to implement.

The report says identification measures were discussed while the Online Safety Act 2023 (‘the Act’) was passing through parliament.

However, the government and parliament decided against imposing a blanket policy on user verification, for reasons including freedom of expression and the anonymity requirements of groups such as survivors of domestic abuse.

Ofcom was given legal powers under the Act to hold online services to account for protecting their UK users.

This involves making sure that online services have systems and processes in place to protect UK users from illegal harms, such as inciting violence, and protecting children from content that is harmful to them.

Some of the online abuse people experience today is illegal under UK law, but much of it, though distressing and harmful, is not.

The report says: “Platforms take different approaches to content that is harmful, but not illegal: some ban certain categories of harmful content in their terms and conditions; others provide users with more tools to protect and tailor their online experiences; and some may choose to do nothing at all.”

A future phase of the Online Safety Act will see all adult users of the biggest social media platforms given the option to verify their identity. But this will not be compulsory.

Last month, Jessica Zucker, online safety director at Ofcom, said: “So many people who work in sport are subjected to vile abuse online. This is having a devastating impact on them, their livelihoods and their families, and no-one should have to put up with it.