Kick It Out, the UK charity dedicated to eradicating discrimination in football, has disclosed that it received a historic 1,744 reports of abusive behaviour during the 2025/26 season. This figure marks a 25 per cent rise compared with the previous campaign and pushes the total number of recorded incidents over the 1,000‑mark for the first time, reaching 1,255 separate cases.
The increase was evident across every tier of the sport. In the professional game, complaints grew by 41 per cent, climbing to 636 reports, while the grassroots sector saw a similar 41 per cent jump, with 458 incidents logged.
Online abuse also rose, albeit more modestly, with a five per cent increase that brought the digital tally to 650 submissions. Racism continued to dominate the landscape of discrimination, accounting for 792 of the total reports – roughly 45 per cent of all cases.
The most striking growth within this category was racist abuse directed at participants of South Asian heritage, which doubled year on year, representing a 100 per cent surge. Other forms of prejudice also hit new highs.
Since Kick It Out broadened its data‑collection framework five years ago, reports of sexism, homophobia, antisemitism, ableism and Islamophobia have all reached record levels. Islamophobia, in particular, surged dramatically, with an 88 per cent increase in complaints.
Mass chanting that contained discriminatory language rose by 41 per cent, and instances of anti‑immigrant slurs doubled when compared with the combined totals of the two preceding seasons. Abuse aimed at match officials also climbed sharply; 97 reports were logged, a figure that matches the total received over the previous three seasons combined, and more than one‑third of these involved sexist attacks on female referees and officials. Youth football at the grassroots level recorded its fifth straight year of growth in complaints. Reports involving players under the age of 18 rose by a third, reaching a record 248 incidents.
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." A spokesperson for the Premier League added: "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 News analyst Dev Trehan provided further context, noting that while sexism (216 reports) and homophobia (203 reports) remain significant concerns, their combined total is still less than a third of the racism reports (792).
He highlighted that the sharp rise in abuse targeting South Asian individuals – a 100 per cent increase – and the 88 per cent jump in Islamophobic incidents underscore a broader problem: brown players are frequently stereotyped as Muslim and become easy targets for hate. Trehan's column, "Dev's Digest," aims to reshape the narrative around British South Asians in football.
He referenced comments made four years earlier by Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari, who described the under‑representation of South Asians in the professional game as the most striking statistical anomaly in English football. The latest statistics provide a stark explanation for that anomaly, illustrating how pervasive and hostile the environment can be for players of South Asian descent. The analysis concludes that English football remains an unwelcoming space for many South Asian participants and calls for urgent, systemic action to address what Trehan describes as an "English football emergency." Sky Sports reiterated its commitment to fostering a safe online environment, urging viewers to report any hateful comments based on race, gender, religion, disability, sexuality, age or class by copying the offending URL, taking a screenshot and emailing the provided address.
Overall, the data from Kick It Out paints a sobering picture of a sport still grappling with deep‑rooted prejudice, while also highlighting the growing willingness of players, fans and officials to speak out against abuse. The challenge now lies in translating that willingness into concrete, lasting change across every level of the beautiful game.