Fifa expanding AI use at World Cup to reduce amount of abuse seen by players

Article excerpt

FIFA is deploying AI-powered moderation to shield players from abusive social media messages at the 2026 World Cup, expanding a service it introduced after the 2022 Qatar tournament. The governing body is offering the protection free to all football associations competing in the tournament, which begins next week. England's FA has not yet confirmed whether it will use the service. The move addresses a persistent problem: players across major competitions face relentless online harassment, from racist slurs to death threats, often with minimal consequences for perpetrators.