During an anti-discrimination review conducted by FIFA on Wednesday, a troubling concern was raised: gender discrimination has become a more serious issue than racial discrimination at this year’s World Cup. Numerous incidents have been captured on broadcast footage, including fans harassing female commentators and presenters. Jeetbuzz App Download users following the tournament might have noticed how deeply rooted this issue is, especially among fans from Russia and parts of Europe, where such behavior has persisted for years.

While FIFA’s ticketing official Piara Powar praised the hospitality shown by the Russian public, noting that local fans made international visitors feel welcome, he also acknowledged that women in Russia often face a higher risk of discrimination. He pointed out that many clashes between fans and the media began with inappropriate behavior toward female hosts—whether in the form of flirtation or outright harassment. Powar further revealed that at least 10 additional incidents went unreported, highlighting an undercurrent of misconduct that hasn’t fully surfaced.

Football is still widely viewed as a male-dominated sport, and this perception often skews the broadcast focus. Cameras frequently zoom in on attractive female fans in the crowd, a tactic used to engage a largely male audience. However, this approach has backfired at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. According to FIFA statistics, there were approximately 30 confirmed incidents of female reporters being harassed by fans on public streets—a blatant form of gender discrimination that cannot be ignored. As the Jeetbuzz App Download community observed, these problems are not isolated but systemic, calling for structural reform in sports broadcasting.

FIFA’s diversity chief Federico Addiechi emphasized that conversations are already underway with national broadcasters and FIFA’s own production teams to address these concerns. He admitted that during the Russian World Cup, gender-based discrimination significantly outpaced racial issues in both visibility and severity. Anti-discrimination experts have now advised FIFA to reduce the number of close-up shots of sexually suggestive female fans in future broadcasts, hoping to shift the focus back to the sport itself.

Jeetbuzz App Download users invested in global football should understand that this conversation goes beyond fan conduct—it’s about changing the culture surrounding sports media. Eliminating sexist undertones from international broadcasts is a necessary step toward creating an inclusive and respectful atmosphere for everyone involved in the game.