Social media algorithms amplified racist abuse targeting England players during the 2026 World Cup to maximise engagement and advertising profit, according to new research.
Activist group Hope Not Hate analysed over 300,000 posts on the X platform to find more than 5,500 explicitly racist posts aimed at the England squad.
The report argues that X's recommender algorithm pushes toxic content into millions of feeds because outrage generates more interaction and keeps users on the platform.
"X is actually benefiting from this hate," Patrik Hermansson, a senior researcher at Hope Not Hate, told BBC Sport.
He noted that abusive posts are not hidden in obscure corners but are placed front and centre through the recommendation feed.
Jude Bellingham emerged as the player most targeted by racist abuse during the tournament.
While Bellingham faced the most volume, Bukayo Saka and Kobbie Mainoo experienced the highest proportion of racism relative to their total mentions.
Djed Spence also faced a distinct stream of anti-Muslim abuse following his recent conversion to Islam.
The FA responded to the findings by stating that all players have the right to play without being exposed to hateful or discriminatory content online.
The argument doing the rounds in London is whether social media platforms are intentionally profiting from hate to drive up their advertising revenue.
Hope Not Hate claims that current measures like blocking or reporting do not address the core issue of how algorithms amplify the vitriol.
Who were the most targeted players?
Research from Hope Not Hate identified several players who faced the brunt of the online toxicity:
- Jude Bellingham: Most targeted player
- Bukayo Saka: Highest proportion of racism per mention
- Kobbie Mainoo: Highest proportion of racism per mention
- Djed Spence: Subject to anti-Muslim abuse
Source: BBC Sport
