As the FIFA World Cup 2026™ final between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium draws near, FIFA’s positive social impact initiatives throughout the tournament continue to leave a lasting legacy, with efforts focused on countering discriminatory abuse, expanding access to quality education and promoting healthy lifestyles for children.

FIFA’s Social Media Protection Service (SMPS), a digital shield available to all teams, coaches, players and officials participating in FIFA tournaments, has kicked away more than 7 million potentially harmful posts and comments since the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on 11 June, a 14-fold increase on the FIFA World Cup 2022™, when 470,000 such posts and comments were removed. FIFA has also actioned and reported over 200,000 abusive and threatening posts and comments, compared to 19,600 at Qatar 2022™.

Across the FIFA World Cup 2026, the FIFA SMPS team have reviewed and assessed more than half a million AI-detected messages targeted at players, coaches and officials. Over 15,000 of these have been escalated for additional action, and more than 1,000 egregious threats have been passed to the relevant authorities, including Law Enforcement. The service has also moderated more than 53 million posts and comments since the tournament began.

FIFA has also continued its efforts to counter hate speech in football, with this year’s No Racism campaign zeroing in on raising awareness around racial and discriminatory abuse. With the key call to action “Listen, Stand Up, Show Up”, the campaign encouraged fans and players to listen to the stories of those targeted, to act when abuse occurs, and to remain active allies in the fight against racism.

To mark the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, FIFA, TikTok and the City of Atlanta convened an elite group of players, policymakers, technology experts and community leaders at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights for the Stop Hate, Protect Football thought leadership event. The fight against discrimination was also highlighted during the four matches played on 18 June, when teams exchanged special commemorative pennants and stadium LED boards promoted the message. On social media, content around the No Racism campaign generated over 1 billion views.

Football Unites the World was once again the defining message of the tournament across Canada, Mexico and the United States. Celebrating the power of football to forge friendship and unity, the campaign highlighted how anyone who loves football belongs to the world’s biggest team, while also serving as the foundation for two key initiatives: Unite for Peace and Unite for Education.

According to the World Health Organization, 80% of children globally do not get enough exercise, despite needing at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Championing health promotion in the most uplifting of ways, the Be Active campaign came to life when young fans were not only inspired to play football by the thrilling action on the pitch but also rewarded for their efforts by the teams themselves.

From San Diego to New Jersey, this initiative created unforgettable memories for children who joined FIFA World Cup 2026 players for exclusive Be Active clinics during open community training sessions. Over 1,100 lucky kids got to play football and meet their heroes in sessions delivered with ten participating teams – Algeria, Austria, Colombia, Curaçao, France, Ghana, Haiti, Mexico, Switzerland and Uzbekistan. A total of 56,204 guests attended all teams’ sessions where the Be Active message was shared.

Additionally, more than 8,200 people took advantage of the FIFA Arena in New York City’s iconic Central Park – including over 5,000 children enrolled in the Street Soccer USA summer camps, where Be Active was also promoted.

This tournament also showcased the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Be Active Workout featuring official mascots Maple™, Zayu™ and Clutch™. Promoted globally on TV and digital platforms, the workout was rolled out in schools and summer camps across the three host countries using a dedicated digital toolkit.

Unite for Education highlighted the vital importance of learning through sport, spearheaded by the goal to raise USD 100 million for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. Fifty percent of the proceeds will go towards the FIFA Football for Schools project, expanding access to quality education and football opportunities for children worldwide.

Meanwhile, Unite for Peace highlighted major steps towards building dialogue, respect and community. Four global pioneers were welcomed to Mexico City as part of the FIFA Foundation Community Leaders Volunteer Programme, recognising their commitment to creating positive change through football.

The FIFA Foundation also confirmed USD 1 million in support for recovery from the recent devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, and also used the FIFA World Cup 2026 to promote the life-changing work of the FIFA Foundation Coach Education project with an example in Malawi, in partnership with UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency.