FIFA was invited to present at the meeting of the European Union Sport Directors General, who gathered in Nicosia, Cyprus, on 4 and 5 February for an event hosted by the Cyprus Sports Organisation under the Cyprus presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Annaliza Tsakona, Senior International Relations & Public Affairs Manager at FIFA, delivered a presentation under an agenda item entitled “Good practices” within a broader discussion on the theme of mental health and well-being in sport. Her address centred on FIFA’s Social Media Protection Service (SMPS), an innovative tool designed to shield players, teams and officials from online abuse, keep their social media feeds free from hate and help prevent the normalisation of discriminatory and threatening behaviour in football.

Tsakona shared key insights from the analyses of the SMPS conducted following the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™. While the men’s event generated a higher overall volume of social media messages mentioning player handles, comparative data shows that players at the last edition of FIFA’s flagship women’s competition were subjected to a higher proportion of discriminatory, abusive or threatening content.

In relative terms, players involved in the competition Down Under were 29% more likely to be targeted by online abuse than those who competed in Qatar. The findings underscore the growing importance of safeguarding mental health in elite sport and reaffirm FIFA’s commitment to tackling online abuse through technological innovation and cross-sectoral collaboration.

The presentation sparked significant interest among representatives from the European Union member states and the European Commission, generating positive feedback and discussion.

FIFA expresses its sincere thanks to the Cyprus presidency of the Council of the European Union and the Cyprus Sports Organisation for the invitation and the opportunity to contribute to a constructive dialogue on health, well-being and the protection of athletes in the digital age.