Introduction
The event1 that took over the Women’s Football World Cup Final on 20 August 2023 returned to dominate headlines this month. Luis Rubiales (Rubiales), former president of the Spanish Football Association, was found guilty of sexually assaulting Jenni Hermoso (Hermoso) by the Spanish High Court on 20 February following a three-week trial.2 Rubiales was banned from football following disciplinary proceedings opened by FIFA on 30 October 2023.3
The incident and subsequent trial were subject to viral online commentary. The Rubiales case is one of many in the world of entertainment and sport which has been amplified through social media.4 With such a high-profile event, it is easy to focus on the chain reaction with little consideration of the risks posed through extensive online content, where abuse toward individuals is more prevalent. Hermoso publicly stated she had received multiple death threats online which prompted her to leave Madrid following the incident in 2023.5 In a recent Netflix documentary 'It's All Over: The Kiss That Changed Spanish Football', female players also refer to the online abuse Hermoso had suffered following the alleged assault.6
The daily use of social media in how we communicate, report, and engage in general society is now very much an established social norm. There are high expectations for those with elite or celebrity status to make themselves regularly accessible online. It is difficult to achieve any form of privacy in such an environment generally, let alone when events of such magnitude as seen in the Rubiales case, take place.
Below we discuss some of the areas where the risk of online abuse increases, using the Rubiales case as an example, and measures sport organisations can implement to minimise the impact of online abuse generally, and when such events occur.
Event-driven Risk
The risk of online abuse tends to increase when significant sporting events take place. A report, published by FIFA following the Women’s World Cup, stated one in five female football players suffered online abuse in the lead-up and during the World Cup Final match, in isolation from the Rubiales incident.7 FIFA also reported that this was 29% higher compared with the online abuse reported by male players during the Qatar Men’s World Cup Final in 2022.8
In the case of Rubiales, spectators were a live witness to the events which took place on 20 August 2023. When witnessing an event, people will interpret and recall details in different ways. This is because memory is not objective; it is meaning-based and can be influenced by the individual’s own experiences. As a result, various recollections and interpretations of the Rubiales incident have been posted, reposted, commented on, and reported in different ways across social media. This creates divisions in opinion which can expose those directly involved to abusive comments and harassment as online content spreads.
Targeted monitoring: Regular monitoring of content associated or linked with covered individuals is advisable to identify surges in online abuse. Targeted monitoring during and post events can also establish the direction and extent of threatening content and who is most impacted. Targeted welfare support can then be provided to the individual(s) by safeguarding functions which can help prioritise efforts and demonstrate the sport’s commitment to supporting those most impacted by online abuse. Prior to events, athletes and officials should be provided guidance on how to manage the content they receive directly following a match or competition. For example, placing restrictions on direct messages.
Understanding the human impact of online abuse
In her testimony during the trial, Hermoso described how she felt abandoned by the federation following the event.9 The nature of online abuse is relentless, where posts and comments can spread like wildfire through the digital realm. Social influence theory and strain theory are commonly considered when establishing why online abuse behaviours manifest in this way.10 Both relate to the direct influence individuals have on one another where limitations to self-control are present with negative real-world relationships or engagements. The lack of real-world interaction also dehumanises the process when engaging online. This hinders how online abuse is considered a live risk, which means mitigation measures are limited or non-existent, leaving victims feeling completely isolated.
Reporting online abuse: Dedicated reporting mechanisms to enable athletes and officials to report online abuse which is having a direct impact on them will help monitor higher-risk situations. Access to these mechanisms should be regularly communicated to covered individuals. Often, trauma is present as a result of prolonged online abuse or from particularly severe and hateful content. Applying trauma-informed practices is important to ensure that individuals can be supported, particularly where they have competitions or matches scheduled. The athlete’s viewing of abusive content should also be restricted, and where possible, outsourced to external providers who can identify, report and remove the content in real-time.
Sponsor and spectator expectations
Even during viral events, it is not always practical for athletes or officials to simply pause their online activity or remove themselves from social media when abuse occurs. Most elite athletes rely heavily on sponsors where contractual obligations require regular engagement with fans and consumers to promote products. Often, athletes will be required to “run the course” when a surge of online abuse occurs. But without support from their sport, athletes might find it difficult to protect themselves against the onslaught of content, including direct messages from online abusers.
Raising awareness and providing guidance: Sport organisations can provide training to athletes and officials focusing on raising awareness of online abuse risk, including areas of increased exposure and safeguards that can be implemented to mitigate the impact. Most elite athletes are young adults with limited life experience at the time they are at the professional level. Practical tips can be provided to help them understand how and when to restrict abusive content, manage direct messages, identify where online abuse might be impacting their mental health, and how they report or find support when this occurs.
Online abuse was a key topic of discussion at Ankura’s annual Sports Governance, Compliance and Investigations Conference which was held on 29 January 2025. The discussion, moderated by Charli Curran, Safeguarding & Forensics at Ankura, included insights and shared experiences from Mhairi McLennan, Co-Founder and CEO, Kyniska Advocacy and an athlete directly impacted by online abuse, Stephan Smith, Senior Counsel & Safeguarding Lead at World Rugby and Jake Marsh, Head of Sports at Signify.
Sources
[1] https://inside.fifa.com/legal/media-releases/the-fifa-disciplinary-committee-opens-disciplinary-proceedings-against-luis-rubiales
[2] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spanish-court-sentences-ex-soccer-boss-rubiales-pay-fine-over-kiss-without-2025-02-20/
[3] https://inside.fifa.com/legal/media-releases/former-spanish-football-association-president-luis-rubiales-is-banned-for-three-years
[4] https://news.sky.com/story/depp-v-heard-how-has-online-abuse-of-amber-heard-become-acceptable-12624267
[5] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c04n353nn7go
[6] https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/nov/06/moving-the-goalposts-spain-rubiales-football-netflix-documentary
[7] https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/womens-world-cup-online-abuse-usa-england-lionesses-b2462463.html
[8] https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/womens-world-cup-online-abuse-usa-england-lionesses-b2462463.html
[9] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c04n353nn7go
[10] Piccoli et al., “Cyberbullying through the lens of social influence: Predicting cyberbullying perpetration from perceived peer-norm, cyberspace regulations and ingroup processes”, Computers in Human Behaviour, January 2020.
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© Copyright 2025. The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and not necessarily the views of Ankura Consulting Group, LLC., its management, its subsidiaries, its affiliates, or its other professionals. Ankura is not a law firm and cannot provide legal advice.
