Click here to read the full article: Comment: The privacy, media and reputational risks that have become part of the World Cup – Inside World Football
Hanna and Jamie’s article is reproduced below with kind permission.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the largest and perhaps most political yet, with 48 teams, 104 matches and three host nations played out against a backdrop of conflict in the Middle East, criticism of high ticket prices and concerns regarding immigration and player safety.
The World Cup has entered an era defined by ‘always-on’ digital engagement and social media is sitting at the heart of how the tournament is experienced, discussed and shaped. FIFA has even announced TikTok as its first-ever ‘Preferred Platform’ and the go-to place for fans throughout the tournament.
With increased visibility comes heightened reputational risk, making online conduct and media management more important than ever for players, teams and their wider networks.
Social media storm
More of the discourse is taking place online than ever before and with that brings added risk for players and teams with online abuse of players having featured prominently at the Men’s Euro 2020 tournament and at the recent Women’s Euro 2025 championships. Within a week of this year’s tournament, FIFA revealed that its social media protection service deleted almost 400,000 abusive posts online.
Monitoring and escalation frameworks should be put in place by teams and players so that quick action can be taken where there is online abuse and harassment, but the spotlight will be on the police, social media companies and regulators such as Ofcom in the United Kingdom to act and seek to control false, threatening and offensive communications.
The use of social media by players and family members can also inadvertently create legal or reputational exposure. We have already seen Harry Maguire and his family’s negative reaction to him missing out on England’s squad for the tournament play out publicly and create noise for England’s management to deal with.
Players, their wives and girlfriends and their families will also need to consider their own social media use with common pitfalls including reactionary posts after contentious decisions, sharing unverified or misleading content or political or cultural commentary.
Crisis management in tournament conditions
With increased focus on the Word Cup, media outlets and large social media accounts are looking for attention-grabbing headlines and viral content. This means that allegations can spread globally within minutes, whether it be on-pitch conduct, off-field behaviour, disciplinary issues or even historical issues resurfacing.
So far in this tournament we have seen an Australian video assistant referee accused and cleared of an offensive hand gesture, a Paraguayan commentator have his credentials removed for a blistering on-air attack against FIFA officials, and most recently allegations of a conspiracy to ensure Algeria and Austria progressed through to the knockout stages at Iran’s expense.
The ever-increasing number of football pundits with polarising opinions, reporting from ‘in the know’ social media journalists with huge followings, or coverage from international outlets where legal standards differ, all make potential reputational risks harder to manage.
Rapid response communications strategies, specialist teams on standby and scenario planning are all recommended measures for teams and players.
Privacy, confidentiality and leaks
Alongside public-facing risks, players and teams also experience intense scrutiny on medical information and injuries, hotel locations and personal security. After Southampton’s recent ‘Spygate’ scandal, additional measures to protect training sessions may be advisable.
While attention on player’s families may have reduced from the height of Baden Baden at the 2006 World Cup and the tort of misuse of private information in the United Kingdom has subsequently developed to provide greater protection to those in the public, there will still be press and social media interest on the player’s personal relationships and private life.
These issues can engage a player’s privacy and reputation rights and teams, players and their families will need to be vigilant and ensure public messaging is managed carefully. They should consider what they already have accessible on social media and how that might play out. However famous a player is and however much in the spotlight the World Cup puts them, they can still protect their privacy and reputation.
One impact of the expanded version of the tournament is that more players will get their chance to play on the world’s biggest stage and be thrusted into the spotlight. That has certainly been the case for New Zealand player Tim Payne who saw his social media following grow from 5,000 to 5 million after an Argentinian influencer called for fans to boost his following prior to the tournament – he will now be experiencing a level of media attention and fame that was unlikely to have been part of his World Cup preparation.
Threats of publication of information which is private or defamatory should be dealt with quickly as publication can often be stopped or its impact mitigated with the right strategy. This is often a more effective way of dealing with issues, rather than trying to sort them out after publication.
The emerging threat: AI, deepfakes and disinformation
One of the most rapidly evolving risks is AI-generated and manipulated content and this is the first World Cup where this type of material is commonplace.
False videos, audio clips or images can circulate widely before their authenticity is verified. Whether driven by online communities, bad actors, or simple misinformation, false narratives can also gain traction quickly and globally in a World Cup environment – and there have already been reports of an AI generated fake version of the opening ceremony online which drew over 1.4 million viewers.
This type of content can engage intellectual property rights, rights to reputation, data rights and rights to privacy and the most effective strategy is likely to be immediate engagement with platforms for removal and clear public clarification where appropriate.
Final thoughts
The scale and visibility of the 2026 World Cup means that reputational risk is both amplified and accelerated, leaving little room for missteps.
Those best prepared will be the teams and individuals who treat media management, digital vigilance and crisis response as integral to their tournament strategy, rather than an afterthought.
In practice, effective reputation management will require a coordinated approach between legal advisers and communications teams, combining pre-planning steps and risk monitoring with rapid response to threats of publication, takedown strategies and carefully calibrated public responses.
Partner, Hanna Basha and Legal Director, Jamie Hurworth are part of the Litigation, arbitration and dispute resolution team at Payne Hicks Beach and specialise in defamation, privacy, reputation management and breach of confidence. Jamie has acted in some of the most high-profile media and sports disputes in recent years, and Hanna in a number of landmark cases in the High Court.
