England defender Jess Carter has revealed the shocking impact of racist abuse she received during Euro 2025. The 28-year-old says the messages were so disturbing that she didn't want to leave her hotel room during the tournament.
"I didn't want to leave the hotel in case those people who were saying those things were going to be in Switzerland with us," Carter told BBC Sport. "It was quite a scary time. It totally devalues you as a human being."
Earlier this month, 60-year-old Nigel Dewale pleaded guilty to sending racist messages to Carter's TikTok account during the Euros. The messages included derogatory references to her race and suggested people with brown skin were "murderers" and "groomers." Despite the abuse, England went on to successfully defend their European title.
Carter, who has 52 caps for England, says this experience knocked her confidence for the first time in her career. "I'm quite a confident person in everything but it's the first time I lacked in confidence on the pitch," she admitted.
The former Chelsea star had to step back from social media during the tournament after experiencing what she described as "a lot of racial abuse" from the very start. Her teammates rallied around her, and the squad even decided to stop taking a knee before matches, feeling they needed to find another way to tackle racism.
Women's Football Facing Growing Abuse Problem
Carter, who now plays for Gotham FC in the United States, says the abuse female players face "is getting worse." As women's football grows in popularity, so does the negative attention. The Lionesses' rising profiles mean players are increasingly targeted.
"The profiles are getting huge now," Carter explained. "Every player should feel comfortable walking around the street and being whoever they want to be, and it's getting to a place where a lot of people don't feel that kind of comfort any more."
She's noticed a stark difference between playing in England and America. While England fans who travel to games are "amazing," Gotham supporters seem friendlier overall. "In America they just seem to be so happy and so positive and tell you how great you are, even if you haven't done that good," she said.
For England fans looking ahead to future tournaments, Carter's experience highlights concerns about player welfare that could impact squad morale and performance. Her happiness now comes before football, meaning future club decisions will be based on where she feels happiest.
Police and Social Media Companies Need Better Cooperation
Carter has been helping police with their investigation into Dewale, who faces sentencing on March 25th. Magistrates have warned that all options, including prison, remain on the table.
While praising social media companies for being "really amazing" in tackling abuse, Carter identified a key problem. The criteria for what police consider illegal differs from what social media platforms view as rule-breaking. "If social media companies aren't willing to give up that information, or if they don't feel like it's breached their criteria, then the police can't do anything about it," she explained.
Carter believes police and social media companies need to work together better and "be on the same page." Until that happens, she's unsure how online abuse can be completely stopped. The case has drawn attention to the urgent need for better protections for athletes, particularly as women's football continues its remarkable growth trajectory.
