Spanish football is facing renewed scrutiny over racism and hate speech after a new report revealed a sharp increase in abusive messages targeting players, supporters and minority communities online.
The findings, published by the Spanish Observatory Against Racism and Xenophobia, showed that more than 105,000 abusive social media messages were recorded over a three-month period, highlighting what campaigners describe as a growing crisis surrounding discrimination linked to football in Spain.
Among the most prominent figures targeted were Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona and Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid CF, both of whom were subjected to racist messages on social media platforms.
According to the report, men’s football remains the primary setting for these attacks, particularly during major sporting occasions and high-profile celebrations involving supporters in Spanish cities.
The observatory linked the rise in online hostility to several events, including the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, which coincided with an increase in racist abuse directed at players and supporters. The report also highlighted attacks aimed at North African residents, who accounted for 61% of recorded incidents.
Researchers warned that the continued spread of hate speech online is having direct consequences for both athletes and fans, increasing pressure on football authorities and digital platforms to take stronger action.
The report said the abuse directed at well-known players such as Yamal and Vinicius demonstrated the scale of the challenge facing the sport. Both players have become high-profile figures in Spanish football and are among the most recognisable young stars competing in La Liga.
Concerns over racism in Spanish football have intensified in recent years, with repeated incidents inside stadiums and across social media drawing criticism from anti-racism organisations and sections of the football community.
At the same time, the report noted that social media companies have stepped up monitoring and moderation efforts in response to the growing volume of abusive content.
Data from the first quarter of the year showed that 55% of reported hateful content was removed from platforms, representing an improvement compared with the previous quarter. The highest monthly removal rate was recorded in March, when 62% of flagged material was deleted.
Among the major platforms, TikTok recorded the strongest response rate, removing 86% of reported content. X followed with a 75% deletion rate, while Instagram removed 42% and Facebook removed 38%.
YouTube recorded the lowest response level, with only 16% of reported abusive material being removed, according to the findings.
Despite improvements in moderation, the observatory said stronger preventative measures were urgently required to tackle racism connected to Spanish football, especially during La Liga matches and major sporting events.
The report called for tighter oversight of social media platforms and wider efforts to protect players and supporters from discriminatory abuse, warning that hate speech continues to spread rapidly online despite growing awareness of the issue.
