Kick It Out, the charity dedicated to eradicating discrimination from football, has disclosed that it received a historic total of 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 tally of documented incidents over the 1,000‑mark for the first time, reaching 1,255 separate cases.
The growth was evident across every segment of the sport. Complaints from the professional tiers climbed by 41 per cent, with 636 reports logged, while grassroots football also saw a 41 per cent jump, tallying 458 complaints.
Online platforms contributed another 650 reports, a modest five‑percent increase over the prior year. Racism continued to dominate the landscape of abuse, accounting for 792 submissions – roughly 45 per cent of the overall total. The most striking surge within that category was directed at participants of South Asian heritage, which doubled year on year.
In other words, the number of racist messages aimed at South Asian players, coaches and officials rose by 100 per cent. All other protected characteristics also hit record levels since Kick It Out broadened its data‑collection framework five years ago. Reports of sexism, homophobia, antisemitism, ableism and Islamophobia all reached new highs. Islamophobia, in particular, surged by an astonishing 88 per cent, making it the fastest‑growing form of discrimination recorded by the organization.
Mass chanting that incorporated discriminatory language rose by 41 per cent, while complaints involving anti‑immigrant slurs doubled when compared with the combined totals of the two preceding seasons. Abuse targeted at match officials also saw a sharp climb, with 97 reports – a figure that matches the sum of the previous three seasons – and more than a third of those incidents involved sexist remarks aimed at female referees and officials.
Youth football at the grassroots level continued its upward trajectory for the fifth year in a row. Reports concerning players under the age of 18 jumped by one‑third, reaching a record 248 cases. Samuel Okafor, chief executive of Kick It Out, commented on the data: "These numbers confirm that discrimination remains deeply rooted throughout the game, especially at a time when hate crime and polarising political discourse are on the rise across Britain. Yet they also demonstrate that more people are willing to speak out when they witness abuse, and it is heartening to see professional players lead by example.
"We recognise the substantial efforts already underway to combat prejudice in football, and we will keep collaborating with governing bodies, clubs, leagues, regulators and government to ensure that the bravery shown by reporters is matched by decisive, consistent action. Our goal is a sport that welcomes everyone, regardless of background." A spokesperson for the Premier League added: "The Premier League and its clubs unequivocally condemn all forms of discrimination. We encourage fans, players and officials to challenge and report any abusive conduct they encounter. "Addressing discriminatory abuse is a top priority for the league.
We have a suite of initiatives in place, including the Matchday Observer Programme, the No Room For Racism campaign, and dedicated resources to monitor and counter online abuse. "Even a single incident is one too many. That is why we work closely with clubs, specialist partners and the appropriate authorities to ensure swift and severe responses, which can include stadium bans and legal prosecution.
"Each season, around 15 million spectators attend Premier League matches, and we are seeing increasing numbers of women and people from ethnically diverse backgrounds among them. We are proud to partner with expert organisations such as Kick It Out to help create an inclusive and supportive environment for all." Analysis by Sky Sports News' Dev Trehan: The data makes it clear that discrimination remains a pervasive problem within English football and mirrors broader societal issues.
While reports of sexism (216) and homophobia (203) are significant – with homophobic incidents up 46 per cent from the previous year – they together constitute only about half of the total racism reports (792). For South Asian participants, the picture is especially grim.
The biggest jump in racist reports targeted people of South Asian descent, rising 16 per cent and doubling the previous year's figure. This 100 per cent surge in abuse directed at South Asians, combined with an 88 per cent rise in Islamophobia, highlights a disturbing pattern: many brown individuals in football are automatically assumed to be Muslim and consequently become prime targets for hate. Dev's Digest, the agenda‑setting column that aims to correct misconceptions about British South Asians in football, notes that four years ago Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari described the under‑representation of South Asians in the professional game as the single most striking statistical anomaly in English football. The current statistics help explain why that anomaly persists.
The environment for South Asian players, coaches and officials remains hostile, underscoring the urgent need for the sport to address what can only be described as an English football emergency. Without decisive, coordinated action, the cycle of abuse is likely to continue, deterring talent and eroding the inclusive spirit football should embody. Sky Sports reaffirms its commitment to maintaining its websites and social‑media channels as spaces for constructive discussion free from hate, abuse, and profanity. Viewers who encounter hateful comments based on race, gender, colour, nationality, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexuality, age or class are urged to capture the URL and a screenshot of the offending post and forward it to Sky Sports via the provided email address.