England defender Jess Carter has revealed she’s been subjected to heavy racial abuse during the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 tournament in Switzerland. The Football Association has responded by contacting UK police and has vowed to ensure those responsible are held accountable.
England Drop ‘Take a Knee’ in Anti-Racism Stand
Before their semi-final clash with Italy, the England squad announced a major shift in their anti-racism gesture. Instead of taking a knee, they will now stand in solidarity.
“It is clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism,” the team said in a statement ahead of the high-stakes match.
Carter, who has started every game of the tournament and has 49 England caps, decided to step away from social media to focus on her game. In her own words, she explained the toll the abuse had taken on her.
“From the start of the tournament I have experienced a lot of racial abuse. Whilst I feel every fan is entitled to their opinion on performance and result, I don’t agree or think it’s OK to target someone’s appearance or race.”
Carter’s Response and FA’s Action
The Football Association has taken immediate steps. Chief executive Mark Bullingham confirmed that the moment the abuse came to light, the matter was reported to the authorities.
He said the FA is committed to bringing the offenders to justice and added that hate of any kind has no place in football.
Carter said in her statement that she has decided to leave her online platforms in the hands of a management team for the rest of the competition.
“As a result of this I will be taking a step back from social media and leaving it to a team to deal with,” she added.
— Jess Carter (@_JessCarter) July 20, 2025
Racial Abuse in Football Persists
Unfortunately, this isn’t a one-off incident for English football. In 2023, Lauren James was also the target of online hate after a Chelsea defeat.
Earlier, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, and Jadon Sancho faced a torrent of abuse after missing penalties in the Euro 2020 final against Italy.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also took a stand. “There is no place for racism in football or anywhere in society,” he said on X.
Support for Jess Carter from Football Leaders
England coach Sarina Wiegman offered her full backing to Carter and condemned the abuse.
“I stand with Jess and all Lionesses players past and present who have suffered racism,” said Wiegman.
UEFA, the governing body for European football, also came forward with a message of support for Carter, showing the growing pressure to tackle racism in the sport more effectively.
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