Kick It Out, the charity dedicated to eradicating discrimination in football, has disclosed that it received a historic total of 1,744 discrimination reports during the 2025/26 season. This figure marks a 25 per cent jump compared with the previous reporting period and pushes the number of documented incidents past the 1,000‑mark for the first time, reaching 1,255 separate cases. The rise was evident across every segment of the sport. Complaints originating from the professional game and from grassroots football both climbed sharply, each increasing by 41 per cent.
Professional‑level reports rose to 636, while grassroots submissions grew to 458. Online abuse reports also edged upward, up 5 per cent to a total of 650.
Racism continued to dominate the landscape of abuse, accounting for 792 of the reports – roughly 45 per cent of the total. Meanwhile, instances of sexism, homophobia, antisemitism, ableism and Islamophobia each hit new highs, a trend that has persisted since Kick It Out broadened its data‑collection framework five years ago. One of the most alarming developments was a 41 per cent surge in reports of discriminatory mass chanting, a form of coordinated abuse that can amplify hateful messages throughout a stadium.
Reports of anti‑immigrant slurs doubled when compared with the combined total of the two previous seasons. Abuse directed at match officials also rose sharply; 97 reports were logged, a number that matches the total recorded over the preceding three seasons.
Notably, more than a third of those complaints involved sexist attacks on female referees and officials. Youth football at the grassroots level experienced its fifth straight year of growth in reported incidents. Complaints involving players under the age of 18 climbed by one‑third, reaching a record 248 cases.
This upward trend underscores the fact that discriminatory behaviour is not confined to senior or professional tiers but permeates the game at every level, including among young participants. Samuel Okafor, chief executive of Kick It Out, commented on the data: "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.
But they also show that people are more willing to stand up to abuse when they see it, and it's encouraging to see professional players set that example last season. While we recognise that there is a lot of good work ongoing in football to tackle discrimination, we will continue to work with football authorities, clubs, leagues, regulators and government to ensure we match the courage shown to report abuse with clear and consistent action so that football is welcoming to everyone." The Premier League issued a statement reinforcing its zero‑tolerance stance: "The Premier League and our clubs condemn all forms of discrimination, and we encourage fans and players to challenge and report abuse wherever they see it.
Tackling discriminatory abuse is a priority for the Premier League, and we have a range of important initiatives in place, including our Matchday Observer Programme, our No Room For Racism campaign and dedicated resources to track and tackle online abuse. One incident of discriminatory abuse is one too many, which is why we work closely with our clubs, expert partners and the relevant authorities to ensure cases are dealt with as swiftly and severely as possible. This can include stadium bans and legal prosecution. Around 15 million people attend Premier League matches every season, with more women and people from ethnically diverse backgrounds joining every year.
We are proud to work with expert organisations, including Kick It Out, to help create a welcoming and supportive environment for everyone." Sky Sports also reiterated its commitment to a safe online environment, stating that its website and social‑media channels are intended to be spaces for constructive discussion free from hate, abuse and profanity. The broadcaster urged viewers who encounter hateful comments—whether based on race, sex, colour, gender, nationality, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexuality, age or class—to capture the offending content, copy the URL and forward the screenshot to the provided email address for review.
The surge in reports highlights a dual reality: while discriminatory behaviour remains pervasive, the willingness of fans, players and officials to report incidents has grown, suggesting a cultural shift toward greater accountability. Organizations across the sport are responding with a suite of measures, from on‑site observer programmes that monitor fan conduct, to robust online monitoring tools that flag abusive language in real time. Legal avenues, such as stadium bans and criminal prosecutions, are being employed more frequently to deter repeat offenders.
Nevertheless, experts caution that statistics alone do not capture the full scope of the problem. Many incidents go unreported due to fear of retaliation or a belief that nothing will change. To address this, Kick It Out and its partners are investing in education programmes aimed at young players, coaches and supporters, teaching them how to recognise and challenge prejudice. Community outreach projects, diversity workshops, and mentorship schemes are being rolled out to embed inclusive values from the grassroots up.
Looking ahead, the charity plans to refine its reporting mechanisms, making them more accessible via mobile apps and anonymous online forms. It also intends to publish annual trend analyses that break down abuse by region, age group and type, providing clubs and governing bodies with actionable data to target interventions where they are needed most. In summary, the 2025/26 season has set a new benchmark for both the prevalence of discrimination in football and the willingness of the football community to confront it.
The record number of reports, while sobering, also signals a growing readiness to speak out against hate. Continued collaboration between charities like Kick It Out, governing bodies, clubs, broadcasters and fans will be essential to transform these numbers into lasting, positive change on and off the pitch.