The FIFA World Cup champions have been decided. Some fans celebrated, while others were disappointed.
Then there were the homes where the match was not measured in goals, trophies, or television ratings. It was measured in threats, aggressive actions, broken belongings, bruises and fear.
I survived more than 23 years of domestic abuse. I was that person years ago with my then-husband. I was a survivor who learned to watch more than the television screen. I watched faces, hands, movements and the distance to the nearest door. Reading the domestic violence stats post-FIFA matches triggered me because I lived it after attending a friend’s Super Bowl party with my then-husband. There is no referee in the altercations that happen in the home following an intense sporting event.
Research examining previous World Cup tournaments found that reported domestic abuse increased by 38% after England lost a match and by 26% after the team won or drew (Tasnim, 2026). More recent research has continued to connect major soccer matches with changes in the timing and frequency of reported abuse.
Where the U.S. is concerned, there are a few major tournaments, with the Super Bowl being the most popular and the most televised. In comparison with those World Cup statistics, the U.S. law enforcement escalation records can show a similar uptick in violence. Another study found that the violence occurred at a more local level than across the nation. U.S. researchers utilized the FBI National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) records from 1995–2006 for communities associated with six NFL teams. Their analysis included 866 Sunday regular-season games and found that police-reported intimate-partner violence increased by approximately 10% after an unexpected loss by a local NFL team (Card & Dahl, 2011). “Expected” losses did not raise violence statistics, ironically.
A 2024 U.S. peer-reviewed study published in Emergency Radiology, based on national emergency-department data from 2005 through 2017, found no significant increase in assault-related injuries during Super Bowl weekend. The study did spell out, however, that “high-stakes sporting events can intensify existing abuse − particularly when alcohol, gambling, heightened emotions, and an unexpected loss are involved (Khurana et al, 2024).” It would seem that more study in the U.S. is needed, perhaps expanding the examination to include the World Series and March Madness tournaments, respectively.
Let us be clear: Soccer (or American Football) does not cause domestic violence. Neither does alcohol, disappointment, stress, or a referee’s questionable call. Abusers cause domestic violence. It is just that simple. A tournament may heighten emotions or provide an excuse, but it does not create the belief that one person has the right to control, intimidate, or hurt another.
That is why the conversation cannot end when the tournament does.
The data should prevent us from treating abuse as a private disagreement or an unfortunate relationship issue. Domestic violence is a community emergency happening behind private doors. Silence and ignorance can aid in casualties. Women die. Children are traumatized and unhoused. Domestic violence causes a shockwave that many do not realize, that ends up touching more lives than just that of the affected family. It literally ripples out into the community through EMS, DCS, teachers, employers, therapists, and sometimes morticians.
During major sporting events, bars advertise specials, stores build displays, and cities prepare for crowds. We should put that same energy into preparing for the danger some survivors face at home. Public-awareness campaigns should appear alongside game-day promotions. Bartenders, health care workers, and first responders should be trained to recognize warning signs. Local shelters and hotlines need reliable funding before, during, and long after tournaments.
Friends and relatives also have a role. If someone becomes quiet, isolated, or unusually anxious around a partner, do not demand, “Why don’t you leave?” Instead, ask, privately, “Is there anything you’d like to speak privately about?” and “How can I help you feel safer?”
Listen without judgment. Do not confront the suspected abuser without the survivor’s knowledge, because that can increase the danger. Keep in mind that the abuser usually won’t do anything in front of witnesses; they’ll just pass it off as “no big deal.” Later, it will be a huge deal to the survivor.
Most importantly, we must keep responsibility where it belongs. A missed penalty kick does not permit striking a partner. A disappointing loss does not justify terrorizing a family. An abuser makes those conscious choices on where and how they take out their frustrations. Pets also sometimes suffer abuse. This is never acceptable. Spectating sports is meant as a fun, relaxing pastime full of camaraderie − not violence.
The World Cup brings people together through passion, pride and possibility. We can celebrate that without looking away from what may happen after the televisions go dark. When the crowds go home, and the headlines move on, survivors will still need us to pay attention.
Domestic violence does not end with the final whistle − and neither should our concern.
Laura Moseley is a writer, public-service professional, and a domestic-abuse survivor who advocates for survivor awareness, safety, and resilience. She lives in Madison, Indiana.
Original source: us