The anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out has disclosed a record 1,744 reports of discriminatory behavior during the 2025/26 season, marking a 25% increase from the previous year. This surge brings the total number of recorded incidents to 1,255, surpassing 1,000 for the first time. Discriminatory reports rose across all areas of the game, with professional football and grassroots levels experiencing a 41% increase to 636 and 458 cases, respectively.
Online reports also saw a 5% rise to 650. Racism remained the most frequently reported form of discrimination, accounting for 792 cases - 45% of the total. Notably, racist abuse targeting individuals from South Asian backgrounds increased by 100% year-over-year. Reports of sexism, homophobia, antisemitism, ableism, and Islamophobia all reached record highs since Kick It Out expanded its reporting data five years ago, with Islamophobia experiencing an 88% increase.
Kick It Out also documented a 41% rise in reports of discriminatory mass chanting and a doubling of reports involving anti-immigrant language compared to the previous two seasons combined. Furthermore, discriminatory abuse towards match officials increased significantly, with 97 reports matching the total from the previous three seasons combined - over a third of which involved sexist abuse aimed at female officials.
Grassroots youth football saw its fifth consecutive annual rise, with reports involving under-18s increasing by a third to a record 248. According to Kick It Out chief executive Samuel Okafor, "These figures demonstrate that discrimination is deeply ingrained across the game, mirroring the rise in hate crimes and divisive rhetoric in Britain.
However, they also indicate that people are more willing to stand up against abuse when they witness it, and it's encouraging to see professional players set this example last season." Okafor emphasized the need for consistent action, stating, "While we acknowledge the good work being done in football to tackle discrimination, we will continue to work with football authorities, clubs, leagues, regulators, and the government to ensure that the courage to report abuse is met with clear and consistent action, making football welcoming to everyone." A Premier League spokesperson stated, "The Premier League and our clubs condemn all forms of discrimination and 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 initiatives in place, including our Matchday Observer Programme, No Room For Racism campaign, and dedicated resources to track and tackle online abuse." The spokesperson underscored the importance of addressing discriminatory abuse, saying, "One incident of discriminatory abuse is one too many, which is why we work closely with our clubs, expert partners, and relevant authorities to ensure cases are dealt with swiftly and severely, including stadium bans and legal prosecution." Analysis by Sky Sports News' Dev Trehan highlights the persistent issue of discrimination in English football and society at large. While reports of sexism and homophobia are concerning, with the latter seeing a significant increase, their combined total is barely half of the total number of reports of racism. The statistics are particularly alarming for people of South Asian heritage, with a 100% increase in racist abuse directed at them and an 88% rise in reports of Islamophobia.
Dev Trehan notes that if you are a person of color in football, you are often perceived to be Muslim and have a massive target on your back. The under-representation of South Asians in professional football is a long-standing issue, and these statistics suggest that the game remains inhospitable to people from South Asian backgrounds. It is time for the football community to address this English football emergency. Sky Sports is committed to maintaining a platform for comment and debate that is free of abuse, hate, and profanity.
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