This archive report was first published on 12 July 2021.
England's football stars, including Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka, faced a torrent of racial abuse on social media after the Euro 2020 final against Italy on July 11, 2021.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson was among those who condemned the abuse, calling it 'appalling' in a tweet.
"This England team deserve to be lauded as heroes, not racially abused on social media," Johnson wrote.
Johnson's comments came after England manager Gareth Southgate described the online invective as 'unforgivable', saying some of it had come from abroad but some was from within the country.
"We have been a beacon of light to bring people together and the national team stands for everybody," Southgate said.
Facebook, which owns Instagram, said it had 'quickly removed comments and accounts directing abuse' at the footballers.
"No one thing will fix this challenge overnight, but we're committed to keeping our community safe from abuse," Facebook added.
London police said they were aware of 'a number of offensive and racist social media comments', calling it 'totally unacceptable' and promising an investigation.
Prince William, the FA's president, also condemned the abuse, saying he was 'sickened' by the behaviour.
"It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour. It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable," he tweeted.
