Players at the World Cup are enduring a growing pattern of abuse, including racist and discriminatory attacks both online and in person, global players’ union FIFPRO said on 4 July, calling for urgent collective action to address the issue.
With the tournament entering the round of 16, FIFPRO urged stakeholders across football to take coordinated steps to protect players from rising abuse linked to media scrutiny and the fallout of results as teams are eliminated. “In recent weeks, players have faced abuse online and in person, much of it racist and discriminatory. There has been intimidation and hostility beyond the pitch. These incidents are not isolated, they point to a systemic pattern that cannot remain an accepted part of football or society. Players shoulder the expectations of a nation, but this must never come at the cost of their safety, dignity or wellbeing, nor should abuse be dismissed as part of the game,” the organisation said in a statement.
FIFA has reported a thirteen fold surge in online abuse during the group stage of the tournament through its Social Media Protection Service, with 11 per cent of that abuse found to be racially motivated.
The issue came into sharp focus during the knockout stage, when Netherlands players Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber and Crysencio Summerville were subjected to racist abuse online after missing penalties in their side’s shootout defeat to Morocco in the round of 32.
FIFPRO said national team duty should be treated as an extension of players’ workplace and protected accordingly. “The national team is an extension of the players’ workplace, and they must be protected as such. While important steps have been taken, FIFPRO calls on football stakeholders, and public and private actors, to increase their efforts as monitoring and reporting alone cannot change behaviour or prevent harm. There must be meaningful consequences for those responsible and a collective commitment from groups, including law enforcement, social media platforms, media, fans and the public, to reverse this trend,” the union added.
