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Thursday, July 30, 2026
Reports of antisemitic discrimination in British soccer up 43%, watchdog says
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Reports of antisemitic discrimination in British soccer rose 43% during the 2025-26 season, according to racism watchdog Kick It Out, amid a 25% increase in overall reports of discrimination in the sport.
A record 1,744 reports of discrimination overall were recorded during the 2025-26 season, representing 1,255 separate incidents of discrimination across professional soccer, grassroots matches and online spaces, the British organization says. The most common form of discrimination was racism.
The report tallied 93 reports of antisemitism, compared to 65 the previous year. Of these, 16 were reported at grassroots under-18s level, 24 in the professional game, and 53 on social media.
Racism accounted for 792 reports, or 45% of the total, an increase of 19% from the previous season. Reports of sexism rose 12% to 216, homophobia increased 46% to 203, and ableism rose 20% to 89. Islamophobia nearly doubled, increasing 88% to 60, the report says.
Kick It Out also recorded a record 142 reports of discriminatory mass chanting, alongside increases in anti-immigrant abuse and discrimination targeting match officials and youth soccer.
“These figures show that discrimination remains deeply embedded across the game at a time when we’re also seeing rises in hate crime and divisive political rhetoric in Britain,” says Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor. “But they also show that people are more willing to stand up to abuse when they see it.”
The organization continues to work with soccer authorities, clubs, regulators and social media companies to improve accountability and make the sport more welcoming, he notes.
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‼️ If you experience, witness or hear discrimination at a football match or online, you… pic.twitter.com/JMFcAvGj96
— Kick It Out (@kickitout) July 29, 2026
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