Kick It Out: Football discrimination reports up 25%

Kick It Out, the anti-discrimination charity, received 1,744 reports of discrimination in English football during the 2025-26 season, a 25% increase from 1,398 reports in 2024-25, with incidents surpassing 1,000 for the first time at 1,255. Professional game and grassroots reports each rose 41%, while specific categories saw sharp increases including Islamophobia up 88%, anti-gay abuse up 46%, and anti-Semitism up 43%. Chief executive Samuel Okafor stated that discrimination remains 'deeply embedded' across the game amid wider societal rises in hate crime and divisive political rhetoric.