England’s Lionesses have announced they will no longer “take the knee” before Euro 2025 matches, a decision prompted by racist abuse directed at defender Jess Carter.
The team believes “we and football need to find another way to tackle racism,” a stance fully backed by The Football Association (FA).
While Fare, football’s international anti-discrimination body, expressed disappointment, viewing the knee as a “powerful anti-racist act,” anti-racism group The Three Hijabis hailed the Lionesses’ move as “powerful,” suggesting it takes the fight against racism to a new level.
Piara Powar of Fare urged Ofcom to enforce the Online Safety Act, citing Carter’s abuse as a timely test for the law meant to protect users from harmful content. The UK Football Policing Unit is actively investigating the racist messages.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the racism, reiterating his support for Carter and the Lionesses.
Sanjay Bhandari of Kick It Out criticized social media companies for not doing enough to combat the worsening online toxicity.
This incident is not isolated, as women’s football has seen similar racist abuse previously, including against Lauren James.
