By OkayGoal 
There is nothing worse than people who tarnish the beauty of the game by doing despicable acts. One such act is social media abuse, which has been on the rise in recent years. Unfortunately, many players are subject to this form of hatred. The latest victim of this behavior was England and Gotham FC’s Jess Carter. The defender received online abuse during the 2025 Women’s Euro. It’s clear that a change must happen.
Jess Carter and Social Media Abuse
Amid the excitement of the tournament, Jess Carter became the target of repeated racial abuse online. This continuous abuse made the player decide to take a break from social media to protect her well-being. In a statement shared on Instagram, Carter wrote:
“From the start of the tournament, I have experienced a lot of racial abuse. Whilst I feel every fan is entitled to their opinion on performance and result I don’t agree or think it’s OK to target someone’s appearance or race. As a result of this I will be taking a step back from social media and leaving it to a team to deal with.”
The 27-year-old also added in her statement that she hopes her decision will make a positive change. “Hopefully speaking out will make the people writing this abuse think twice, so others won’t have to deal with it,” she added.
Jess Carter Receiving Support
The only good side that came out of what happened was the amount of support that Jess Carter received amidst the waves of abuse. Many people supported Carter in her decision, including the Lionesses.
“No one should have to endure such vile abuse, be that in football or any walk of life. Representing our country is the greatest honor. It is not right that while we are doing that, some of us are treated differently simply because of the colour of our skin,” the team said in an official statement.
In addition to this, the Lionesses also accurately described what happened to Carter as “online poison.” They are also right in hoping that those involved would be held accountable. The team also revealed in their statement that they chose not to kneel before their semifinal game. “It is clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism,” the statement read.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also offered his support to Carter. “There is no place for racism in football or anywhere in society. I stand with Jess, the Lionesses, and any players who have suffered racism, on and off the pitch,” he wrote on X.
The Increased Abuse With The Rise of the Game
As women’s soccer continues to grow and attract a wider audience, it also faces a troubling side effect: the rise of online abuse. Along with genuine supporters, a new wave of so-called “fans” has emerged—individuals who use their platforms not to uplift the game, but to target players with hate and harassment.
Lucy Bronze believes that as the game gets more popular, the abuse increases. She told reporters according to BBC, “The bigger the game gets, the bigger the noise becomes, the more fans there are, but the more critics there are. We’re obviously open to critics – that’s why we love the sport – but we’re not open to abuse. Especially in women’s football, the online abuse seems to be getting worse and worse. We see it more in the stadiums, in men’s football and online, but I think with women’s football there seems to be a real target online.”
Despite the ugliness we currently see, Bronze believes that there must be a solution to fight back against the abuse. “There is a way to make a change. There is a solution. I don’t have the answer, but I’m sure that there is one,” she also said.
Governments and Social Media Companies Should Intervene
Unfortunately, the social media abuse directed at Jess Carter happens to many players. It has been happening for years. We have reached a point where more figures and organizations should join hands to fight racism and online abuse. Matt Western, the Labour MP for Warwick and Leamington, wants to make a change, according to The Guardian. He and 91 parliament members joined a call directed towards social media companies to fight “the appalling racism and misogyny” we see in the game.
Another organization that is trying to put an end to abuse is the Football Association, which revealed they are working with authorities to hold those involved accountable. “As soon as we were made aware of the racist abuse Jess received, we immediately contacted UK police. They are in touch with the relevant social media platform, and we are working with police to ensure those responsible for this hate crime are brought to justice,” said the association’s Chief Executive, Mark Bullingham.
The Growing Toll of Online Abuse
Unfortunately, Jess Carter isn’t the only victim of social media abuse. Many female soccer players experience the same thing at least once in their careers. Earlier this year, Manchester City’s Bunny Shaw received racist abuse after the team’s loss against Arsenal. The Guardian also reported how Chelsea’s Millie Bright revealed in the same week that she received verbal abuse from a fan. This abuse also happened to Lauren James when she stepped on Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie.
“Players, coaches, and officials should be able to do their job without being subjected to abuse, either in person or online, and there is no place for it within women’s football or wider society. We are speaking to both clubs and offering any support they may need,” said Women’s Professional Leagues Limited, regarding the abuse received by Shaw and Bright.
The Impact Caused by Social Media Abuse
Online abuse in women’s soccer leaves behind a terrible impact that we must put an end to. It discourages a lot of young players from continuing to play because they are afraid of the abuse they might receive. According to the BBC, research by Women in Sport said that “48% of black girls fall out of love with sport in their teens because of issues such as racism, misogyny and inflexible sporting structures.” This isn’t okay.
This type of abuse can even make professional players afraid of playing; this happened with Jess Carter, too. “I was super scared to play today [the final] for the first time in my life, but when I woke up and I saw my team, and the support I had and the belief I had from my team-mates, my family and my manager. I knew I could just come out and give it my all. That’s all you can do,” Carter told ITV, according to The Independent.
Abuse doesn’t only cause players to be scared of playing; it can also end careers. Lionesses’ former star, Ellen White, told Forbes that online abuse could have ended her career. The impact of abuse also leaves a mark on players’ mental health, and the mental health of their families is something we can’t ignore.
Making A Change
Players like Jess Carter shouldn’t be scared of playing. Social media abuse shouldn’t still be here as the game continues to grow. It was here as well in 2023 during the Women’s World Cup. Back then, a FIFA report revealed that over 150 players received abuse through social media. The USWNT received the most. There must be solutions that will put an end to this. Social media companies, governments, federations, and FIFA should do more. We can’t wait until a disaster happens–we need change now.
Image via @_jesslcarter
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