Every major football tournament tells us something about the game. This World Cup has offered a familiar reminder of what makes football so powerful: the colour, noise and shared emotion of a global event; the emergence of new stories and new heroes; and the sense that, at its best, the game can make people feel part of something bigger.
But there has been another common thread, too. Supporters have not only celebrated what they love about the tournament; they have also shown a growing willingness to preserve what makes it special, and stand up to behaviours or attitudes that go against that.
We’ve seen that with hydration breaks, for example, but in England’s goalless draw against Ghana and Scotland’s defeat by Morocco, both Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey and Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi were booed by supporters following allegations of rape, which both players deny. England defender Djed Spence appeared not to shake Partey’s hand, creating a talking point about how football players and fans are increasingly using the game to say what they believe is acceptable and what is not.
That same instinct is visible in another way: calling out abuse and refusing to allow discrimination to become part of the spectacle. The World Cup has been a celebration of football's global reach, with nations from every corner of the world reminding us why it remains the world's game. Yet major tournaments can also expose attitudes that linger beneath the surface.
Since the tournament began, the majority of discrimination reports received by Kick It Out have related to sexism. Sexism in football is not new, but it continues to occupy a strange place in our game: frequently condemned in principle, yet too often tolerated in practice.
We've seen sexist chants directed at women fans in United States bars during the tournament. We've watched respected broadcasters and pundits subjected to abuse simply for doing their jobs. An all-female refereeing team making history prompted admiration from many supporters but predictable waves of misogynistic commentary from others.
These incidents are not isolated. They point to an uncomfortable truth: sexism is still regarded by too many people as acceptable, excusable or simply "banter". The data backs this up. Across the past decade of major international tournaments, online sexist abuse connected to football has continued to rise. During the men's World Cup in Qatar 2022, FIFA identified a greater proportion of sexist posts than other forms of discrimination. While football has become less tolerant of some forms of discrimination, misogyny continues to find excuses, laughs or shrugs.
That matters because football has changed. Women are no longer on the fringes of the game; they are shaping it.
This tournament has been elevated by outstanding broadcasters such as Kelly Cates, Laura Woods or Rebecca Lowe. United States women’s team head coach Emma Hayes has once again shown why she is among football's sharpest minds, while former England striker Ellen White and others have brought elite-level insight to the biggest stage. History has also been made by an all-American female refereeing team taking charge on the biggest stage. That will provide inspiration to millions watching on TV who might have seen that for the first time.
None of this should be treated as a shock to the system anymore. It should simply be football, and part of the game's identity.
Yet every tournament seems to provoke a backlash against women's growing visibility in the sport. As women's expertise becomes harder to dismiss, instead some resort to abuse. The irony is that football has never been richer for women's involvement. The game is better because more people can see themselves reflected in it, helping it grow and attract more talent whether it be as players, coaches, officials, journalists and supporters.
The challenge now is ensuring that women feel welcome wherever football is watched, discussed and played.
Research we’ve conducted, for example, that many women feel less safe in pubs when football is being shown. That is one of the reasons Kick It Out has partnered with Greene King so that sexism and any discrimination can now be reported in one of Greene King’s 900 sports bars. It’s also why we are working with Her Game Too to tackle sexism and misogyny across football after we found that more than half of women had experienced sexism at or on the way to football matches. We want to create environments where everyone can enjoy football without fear of harassment.
Our work with Ofcom to highlight online abuse, and ongoing engagement with Government around its ongoing strategy to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls also recognises that abuse in football does not exist in isolation. The culture that allows sexist chanting in a pub or abuse on social media reflects wider attitudes that extend well beyond the touchline.
There are encouraging signs, and they return us to that common thread running through this World Cup.
So far this season, we have seen record levels of reporting sexism to Kick It Out. Some may see that as evidence that discrimination is getting worse. But it also shows people refusing to accept behaviour that once went unchallenged. Supporters are becoming more willing to call out abuse rather than laugh along with it. Fans are using their voices not only to celebrate their teams, but to define the kind of football culture they want to be part of.
Football has always been a reflection of society. But it also has the power to influence it. If we want football to truly belong to everyone, sexism cannot be dismissed as "just part of the game."
That is why the response to sexism matters. Women are transforming football in every role imaginable, supporters are increasingly refusing to tolerate abuse, and the game is becoming stronger because of it. The question is whether the minority still clinging to outdated attitudes will finally realise that football is moving on without them.
