Tyne and Wear

Sunderland Player Targeted By Racist Messages After Fulham Match

By

Karen McGinn
23 February 2026, 9:51 am

Sunderland AFC winger Romaine Mundle has been targeted with racist messages online following a match against Fulham at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. The incident happened on February 22, 2026, after the team lost 3-1 in a home Premier League fixture.

The 22-year-old player received several offensive direct messages on Instagram after missing a scoring chance late in the game while playing as a substitute. Romaine Mundle shared images of the abuse on his social media account before deleting his profile to protect himself from further harassment.

According to Sunderland AFC, the club is working with the Premier League to investigate the matter. Officials have promised to take the strongest possible action against anyone found responsible, which may include lifetime bans and legal consequences.

This is the second time in a year that the player has faced this type of abuse, with a similar incident occurring in February 2025. Northumbria Police are expected to be involved in identifying the people who sent the messages.

The event took place during a weekend where three other top-flight players were also targeted with discriminatory comments online. The club continues to support the winger as they call for more aggressive measures to protect athletes from targeted abuse on social platforms.

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