AS the Men’s football World Cup continues and teams head to the pitch, millions of people will come together to watch the big games. For many, football is more than a sport – it is a community, united by passion and hope.

But, beyond the anticipation and excitement, football tournaments can take on a very different meaning for many women and their children.

During this year’s World Cup, you will likely see headlines about rises in reports of domestic abuse. Behind big matches, where tensions are running high, it’s women and their children who are most at risk.

At Refuge, the UK’s largest specialist domestic abuse charity, we support thousands of survivors on any given day. But no matter whether a team wins or loses, football doesn’t cause abuse – abusers do.

While these tournaments can exacerbate pre-existing behaviours, abuse happens all year round, often hidden and unreported. Abusers may use football or alcohol intake as an excuse, but there is never any justification for domestic abuse. It is the abuser's conscious actions alone that are to blame – not external events or circumstances. It is a choice, and it must be challenged.

This World Cup, we’re urging everyone to stand with survivors and give domestic abuse the red card.

Together, we all have the power to shift the narrative, hold abusers to account, and reclaim the true spirit of football.

To any woman who is experiencing abuse or feeling unsafe: please know you are not alone. You deserve to live free from fear – and Refuge is here to support you.

Our free, 24/7 National Domestic Abuse Helpline is available on 0808 2000 247, or you can visit www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk for support and information.

Gemma Sherrington

CEO of Refuge