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England defender Jess Carter has revealed she has been subjected to racial abuse online during the ongoing 2025 Women’s European Championship.
The 27-year-old received criticism following England’s opening loss to France, but said some of the backlash quickly crossed the line. Despite helping the Lionesses reach the Euro 2025 semifinals, the abuse has continued.
“From the start of the tournament, I have experienced a lot of racial abuse,” Carter wrote in an emotional Instagram post on Sunday.
“While 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.”
The Chelsea defender, who now plays her club football for Gotham FC in the U.S., has made 49 appearances for England and was part of the squads that won Euro 2022 and reached the World Cup final in 2023.
Carter added that she would be stepping away from social media to protect her mental health and stay focused on the tournament.
“As ever, I’m grateful for the genuine fans’ support, but I’m taking this measure to protect myself and focus on helping the team in any way I can.”
The Football Association (FA) responded swiftly, contacting UK police and the relevant social media platforms.
“Our priority is Jess and giving her all the support she needs,” said FA CEO Mark Bullingham.
“We strongly condemn those responsible for this disgusting racism. We are working with police to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”
Bullingham also acknowledged the FA has protocols in place due to repeated instances of racial abuse toward England players.
Carter’s Lionesses teammates showed immediate support, both privately and publicly, with the squad releasing a powerful joint statement condemning the “online poison.”
