FIFA holds Atlanta event on tackling hate speech in football

Soccer The event was co-hosted alongside TikTok and the City of Atlanta, highlighting world soccer’s governing body’s Social Media Protection Service.

The specialized protection service has reviewed over 250 million posts since its initial launch, successfully identifying more than 30 million of them as harmful.

The service has already removed 388,000 harmful posts at World Cup 2026 since June 11, surpassing the 287,000 total posts removed throughout the entire 2022 tournament. Eleven individuals in seven countries were reported to law enforcement in 2025 for abuse during FIFA competitions, with one specific case referred directly to Interpol.

Distinguished panelists included former Liberian president George Weah, who won the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year award, and former Nigerian international Mercy Akide. “Football is not just a game of chance, it’s a game of unity,” stated George Weah, who serves as the FIFA Players’ Voice Panel honorary captain.

The high-profile event was held at Atlanta’s National Center for Civil and Human Rights, taking place just ahead of the upcoming World Cup match between the Czech Republic and South Africa.