During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the United Kingdom experienced an unprecedented spike in domestic abuse reports, according to the latest policing data. In total, authorities logged 384 incidents of domestic violence over the course of the tournament, accounting for roughly 17 percent of the 2,322 total cases recorded during the same period.
The majority of these assaults – about 93 percent – were linked to the days surrounding England’s matches, a level only surpassed by the Euro 2020 tournament, which was delayed until 2021. The sharp rise has been flagged as a serious cause for concern, with officials again pointing to alcohol as the primary catalyst. "The vast majority of it [incidents] we'd say were alcohol‑related and that's a real concern," explained Chief Constable Mark Roberts, who leads the Football Policing National Unit in the UK, during an interview with Sky Sports News.
Roberts added that the pattern of increased domestic abuse and public‑order offences around licensed premises is something police have observed in several major sporting events, and that it will be a focal point for future planning. One specific incident that highlighted the challenges faced by law‑enforcement was the sudden change to licensing hours just 48 hours before the high‑profile England‑Mexico match. "We knew the fixtures from December," Roberts said. "It was fairly straightforward to map out the routes and potential hinge points with the engagements with Mexico, and then the licensing laws were extended on the Friday before a Sunday fixture.
That gave us no chance to re‑roster officers." Roberts stressed that police had already warned the government about the risks of last‑minute legal adjustments. "We made our representations to the government to say: 'Look, there's a perfectly adequate system here. We've got plenty of notice before fixtures, stick with the system.' Places can apply for extensions if they are well‑run, but changing the law the day before a game hampers our ability to manage risk effectively," he argued.
He called for a more stable licensing framework well in advance of any tournament, noting that a seven‑month planning horizon should be the minimum. In addition to the surge in physical abuse, online hate crimes also climbed sharply.
Police recorded 293 incidents of online harassment related to the tournament, the second‑highest tally after Euro 2020, when 393 cases were logged. Of the 750 referrals concerning England’s matches, 293 met the legal threshold for prosecution.
While the data is still being examined, a significant proportion of the offending content appeared to originate from outside the UK. Roberts explained the complications of dealing with cross‑border digital abuse: "Some of this stuff is vile, it's unpleasant, but it doesn’t meet the legal threshold. When it does meet the threshold and the offender is based in the UK, we hand the case to the local force for prosecution.
The difficulty arises when the perpetrator is abroad – we become dependent on foreign law‑enforcement, which often operates under different statutes and priorities." He cited the successful prosecution of individuals who targeted England women’s‑team midfielder Jess Carter during the recent Women’s Euros as an example of the process working when the offender is domestic. However, he warned that many countries do not treat online hate with the same seriousness, making international cooperation essential. The insights gathered from the 2026 World Cup will feed directly into the massive policing preparations already under way for Euro 2028, a tournament set to be co‑hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.
Roberts emphasized that the key takeaway is the need for clear, pre‑emptive policies—particularly regarding licensing—so that law‑enforcement can allocate resources predictably. "The world in two years will be different to what it is now, so we need to stay alive to what those threats are; the geopolitical situations," Roberts said.
He highlighted the importance of intelligence‑gathering on foreign fan groups, noting that some visiting supporters have a reputation for being more problematic than domestic crowds. "We need to understand the fans of some of the visiting countries are a lot more problematic than the fans here. So, we need to have those plans in place to be able to deal with them effectively, whether that starts from not letting them in the country in the first place to managing them once they are here." Each host city will be required to define its own event‑ownership structures, licensing policies, and contingency plans, ensuring a cohesive approach across the multi‑nation tournament. Roberts praised the conduct of English fans who travelled to the United States, Mexico and Canada for the competition.
The Football Policing Unit reported only 22 police actions involving England supporters, a modest figure compared with the zero actions recorded during the Qatar World Cup and the three‑year‑old tournament in Russia, especially considering an estimated 100,000 English fans attended matches in North America versus just 7,000 in Qatar and 5,000 in Russia. "I think the fans who travelled out there were an absolute credit," Roberts said.
"They enjoyed it, the support of the team was fantastic, and the iconic scenes of 'Wonderwall' being sung by fans and players will be remembered forever. That was a real positive." Particular commendation was given to the atmosphere at the England‑Mexico round‑of‑16 game at the Azteca Stadium, where the Football Supporters' Association reported a warm camaraderie between the two fanbases, including numerous instances of Mexican supporters congratulating and wishing luck to English fans both inside and outside the arena. The 22 police actions that did occur were broken down into public‑order offences, unauthorised entry, assaults, touting, intoxication, ejection and a single case of sexual battery that, after review, did not result in prosecution. Alcohol was identified as the contributing factor in the majority of these incidents, underscoring the recurring link between licensed premises and heightened risk during large‑scale sporting events.
Overall, the data from the 2026 World Cup serves as a crucial learning tool for future tournaments, highlighting the need for early planning, consistent licensing rules, robust online‑harassment protocols, and collaborative international law‑enforcement efforts to safeguard both the public and the integrity of the sport.