A wave of AI-generated disinformation has swept through the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside verified incidents of real racist abuse, muddying public understanding of discrimination at the tournament. Fabricated clips — including a viral deepfake purportedly showing Dutch manager Ronald Koeman hurling racial slurs at Moroccan players after Morocco's victory over the Netherlands — have spread widely on social media, while false stories blamed Algerian fans for anti-Argentina chants and falsely attributed a petition to ban African and Muslim players from Germany's squad to broadcaster Deutsche Welle. At the same time, genuine racism cases have mounted: French star Kylian Mbappé was targeted with deeply racist remarks by a Paraguayan senator, prompting investigations by French prosecutors and FIFA scrutiny of abuse involving fans from Argentina, Cape Verde and Egypt; FIFA's Social Media Protection Service reports a 13-fold surge in abusive content compared with the 2022 World Cup, with racial abuse making up 11% of all flagged posts.