Anti-racism group urges UK Government to classify Premier League games as high-risk events after World Cup abuse surge

Anti-racism advocacy group HOPE not hate is calling on the UK Government and media regulator Ofcom to classify major Premier League fixtures as high-risk events, following research that uncovered more than 5,500 overtly racist messages directed at England players during the 2026 World Cup.

The findings, drawn from a sample of 300,000 posts on X, show that racial slurs accounted for one-to-two per cent of sampled tournament posts overall, but that figure doubled to between four and five per cent on match days. Abuse escalated most sharply after England’s semi-final defeat to Argentina.

Jude Bellingham received the highest overall volume of racist posts during the tournament. Kobbie Mainoo — who did not play a single minute — and Bukayo Saka experienced the highest proportion of racial abuse relative to their total mentions. Defender Djed Spence was also subjected to anti-Muslim abuse.

Researchers argue that the pattern of abuse is neither random nor unpredictable. “Our research shows that hate targeting footballers follows a clear and predictable pattern,” said Patrik Hermansson, senior researcher at HOPE not hate. “It focuses on specific players and is, to a significant degree, driven by a small number of high-profile actors who benefit from the anger and attention they generate. This is not new or unexpected, and platforms should no longer be able to treat it as such.”

The group contends that conventional remedies — blocking individual accounts or restricting platform access for under-16s — fail to address the structural problem. Algorithms designed to maximise traffic and advertising revenue, campaigners say, actively prioritise controversy and outrage over user safety.

Taylor Gese from the Future of Tech Institute has accused regulators of failing to enforce existing powers, stating that social media firms do not deploy available safety features because “outrage drives engagement, and hate sells.”

With the new domestic season approaching, HOPE not hate is pressing Ofcom and the Government to ensure tech platforms no longer amplify viral hate and mass harassment around high-profile football events.