Data Analysis: 2025/26 Discrimination Trends
Anti-discrimination organization Kick It Out recorded 1,744 reports of abuse during the 2025/26 football season. This represents a 25-per-cent increase compared to the previous campaign. Total verified incidents surpassed 1,000 for the first time, reaching 1,255.
Distribution of Reports
The data indicates a systemic rise in discriminatory activity across multiple sectors of the sport:
- Professional Football: 636 reports (41 per cent increase).
- Grassroots Football: 458 reports (41 per cent increase).
- Online Abuse: 650 reports (5 per cent increase).
- Youth Football (Under-18s): 248 reports (33 per cent increase).
Categorical Breakdown
Racism remains the primary form of reported discrimination, accounting for 792 reports—45 per cent of the total. Other categories, including sexism, homophobia, antisemitism, ableism, and Islamophobia, reached record highs. Specific tactical trends noted by the organization include a 41-per-cent increase in discriminatory mass chanting and a doubling of anti-immigrant language reports. Abuse directed at match officials also rose, with 97 reports recorded; over one-third of these involved sexist abuse targeting female officials.
Institutional Response
Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor attributed the rise to broader social trends, including increased hate crime and political rhetoric in Britain, while noting that higher reporting figures may also reflect an increased willingness among participants to challenge abuse. The Premier League stated that it continues to utilize its Matchday Observer Programme and 'No Room For Racism' initiatives to address these incidents, emphasizing that outcomes for offenders can include stadium bans and legal prosecution.
