FIFA and FIFPRO released a Social Media and Protection analysis of the full tournament this Monday. They found that the United States Women’s National Team received the most online criticism out of any team in the 2023 Women’s World Cup. The abuse on social media centered around specific players as well as the team as a whole.
Media Abuse and the United States Women’s National Team
The report declares that the USWNT coming into the tournament after winning the previous two World Cup tournaments made them automatic targets for online abuse.
Another trigger for abusive statements shared about the team was non-participation in singing the National Anthem. However, the political nature of patriotism in the United States and sports is not a new criticism towards players on the USWNT. In 2016, Megan Rapinoe was among the first athletes to kneel during the national anthem to support NFL…
