Increase in racism during World Cup reflects ‘growing pattern of abuse’

Kylian Mbappé was the subject of an alleged racist attack on social media by a Paraguayan senator after a match against Paraguay in the World Cup. Photograph: Marcel ter Bals/DeFodi Images/Shutterstock View image in fullscreen Kylian Mbappé was the subject of an alleged racist attack on social media by a Paraguayan senator after a match against Paraguay in the World Cup. Photograph: Marcel ter Bals/DeFodi Images/Shutterstock Increase in racism during World Cup reflects ‘growing pattern of abuse’ Experts say rise in social media attacks on players such as Kylian Mbappé need to be viewed in wider political context World Cup live – latest updates A s players in the World Cup shore up their tactics and hone their teamwork skills ahead of the quarter-finals, a chorus of voices have warned that the rise of divisive political rhetoric is translating into an intensifying challenge for players on the pitch: a surge in racism. “There’s a huge issue,” said Samuel Okafor, the chief executive of Kick It Out , a UK-based organisation that seeks to tackle discrimination in football. “The political climate that we’re facing is clearly finding its way into football. And it’s making a huge difference in the levels of abuse we’re seeing – people are certainly being emboldened now more than ever.” The abuse is heightened by the fact that social media firms, for the most part, remain unaccountable for ensuring that their platforms are free from discrimination, he said. “What should be a moment of celebration is clearly being marred by the abuse that’s happening online but also in stadiums.” Among the first to sound the alarm during the tournament was the global players’ union Fifpro, which said this week that players were facing “a growing pattern of abuse” as it called for collective action to protect them. “In recent weeks, players have faced abuse online and in person, much of it racist and discriminatory,” it said in a statement. “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.” The tournament has been punctuated by a spate of incidents, from the Dutch football association, the KNVB, saying it had filed an official complaint after players were targeted online with racist abuse following the Netherland’s loss against Morocco to the Paris prosecutor this week launching an investigation into the alleged racist attack on Kylian Mbappé by a Paraguayan senator. Earlier this month, the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, called on media regulator Ofcom to investigate what he described as the “out of control” online racism directed at World Cup players, including the England squad. “We can’t allow a vile minority to divide us,” he said on social media, while the former Yugoslavia and Atlético Madrid striker Rade Bogdanović sparked outrage after he made a racist comment on Serbian TV about Black players. Data collected by Fifa’s social media