Wales international Hannah Cain says the mental health of female players can be affected by "really ugly" social media abuse. Leicester City forward Cain is with the Wales squad preparing for next Tuesday's opening Women's World Cup qualifying game against the Czech Republic. Earlier this season, the 27-year-old posted on social media that "enough is enough" following abuse from people "hiding behind a keyboard". Cain has now explained that "abusive messages after pretty much every game" for her club prompted her to speak out. "I think unfortunately social media has become a place where people can say whatever they want whether it's good, bad, ugly and sometimes the ugly is really ugly."

Source: BBC February 26, 2026 20:23 UTC