A newly released study has revealed that Barcelona teenage sensation Lamine Yamal receives more racial abuse on social media than every other LaLiga player combined, highlighting a deeply troubling trend in Spanish football.
The research was carried out by the Spanish Observatory of Racism and Xenophobia (Oberaxe), which used its FARO AI monitoring system to track and analyze online comments, posts, and interactions targeting football players. The findings point to a disturbing surge in racist behaviour directed at both emerging and established stars in the league.
Yamal, who has already faced racist chants from Real Madrid fans during the 2024 El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu, has now emerged as the single most targeted player in all of Spanish football according to the data.
Yamal and Vinicius account for nearly all online racist attacks
According to figures published by El País, Yamal alone received 60% of all documented online racial abuse during the previous season. Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, who has long been a victim of racist chanting in stadiums, accounted for an additional 29% of online attacks.
This means that Yamal and Vinicius together represent close to 90% of all racist messages identified. Other big names who also faced significant online hate include Kylian Mbappé, Alejandro Balde, Brahim Díaz, and Iñaki Williams, all of whom have been targeted repeatedly by online trolls.
The study logged a total of 33,438 pieces of racist content. Players from Barcelona (32%) and Real Madrid (34%) were the primary victims of online hate, making up the majority of all cases. They were followed by players from Real Valladolid, Valencia, Athletic Club, Real Sociedad, and Atlético Madrid.
Facebook leads in moderating hate, while X/Twitter performs worst
Oberaxe’s report also uncovered major differences in how social media platforms respond to flagged racist content. Facebook ranked highest, removing 62% of hateful posts reported through the system.
In contrast, X/Twitter performed the worst, deleting only 10% of the posts identified as racist. This low rate of moderation reinforces growing concerns that the platform has become increasingly ineffective at addressing hate speech, despite the rise in racial targeting.
Rising pressure on authorities as racism persists
While LaLiga has stepped up efforts to fight racism in stadiums, including introducing new reporting mechanisms and sanctions, many believe the measures fall short of what is needed. The study’s findings intensify pressure on both football authorities and government institutions to implement stronger and more consistent disciplinary actions.
Critics argue that sanctions issued by Spanish authorities are often inconsistent, weak, or delayed, sending the message that offenders can act with little consequence. With racial abuse growing more frequent and more visible online, many are calling for deeper reforms and tougher penalties to protect players from ongoing discrimination.