As the world’s most popular sport, soccer is a unique reflection of society.

The beautiful game is a mirror. It shows us who we are, revealing not just our passions, but the broader forces shaping them: globalisation, nationalism, identity, culture and prejudice.

We don’t always like what we see.

Mary Fowler during her time at French club Montpellier.Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

Racism is a problem in society. For all the progress it feels we have made, for all the awareness raised, it might actually be getting worse.

So as long as soccer is played by humans, it will be a problem in soccer.

Periodically, we get reminders of what it looks like – usually through screenshots of athletes’ social media inboxes, where people vomit the sort of hatred they wouldn’t dare say to their faces. These screenshots get posted publicly in the hope that something will change, and........

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