FIFA to mark International Day for Countering Hate Speech during World Cup matches June 18
FIFA will mark International Day for Countering Hate Speech at the four venues hosting FIFA World Cup 2026 matches on 18 June. Key stadium activations designed to raise awareness of how the FIFA Social Media Protection Service (SMPS) has kicked away 30 million+ abusive posts and comments since its creation ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
These stadium activations include a special captains’ pennant for the moment of exchange prior to kick off and special campaign LED displays. The pennants feature the languages of the teams on one side and an English translation on the reverse, reading ‘WE PLAY TOGETHER. WE STAND AGAINST HATE.’. The matches activated include: Czechia v South Africa (Atlanta); Mexico v Korea Republic (Guadalajara); Switzerland v Bosnia and Herzegovina (Los Angeles); and Canada v Qatar (Vancouver).
Since its inception, the SMPS has delivered significant protective coverage across FIFA’s global tournaments and events. Over 250 million comments and posts have been reviewed, revealing over 30 million harmful comments and posts.
Throughout the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026™, the service remains actively deployed, providing a proactive digital shield for all tournament participants. Since the tournament began on June 11, over 3.8 million comments and posts have been reviewed, with 388,000 of those removed, after being identified as harmful. By comparison, throughout the entirety of the FIFA World Cup 2022™, 287,000 posts and comments were removed.
