FIFA are to ask Vinicius Junior to lead the efforts against punishing racism, after the Brazilian was the chief victim of abhorrent abuse in 2023.
The number of incidents where the Real Madrid star has endured racially abused reached double figures in Spain this season, and La Liga have changed their tune on the matter, asking for greater power to punish clubs and fans for such gruesome behaviour.
However FIFA President Gianni Infantino has called on Vinicius to lead the effort in doing so, by asking him to lead a new anti-racism committee for the governing body.
“There will be no more football with racism in it [football]. The games should be stopped immediately when it happens. Enough is enough,” Infantino told Reuters (via ESPN).
“I asked Vinicius to lead this group of players that will present stricter punishments against racism that will later be implemented by all football authorities around the world.”
FIFA did have an anti-racism committee, but Infantino disbanded it in the early stages of his tenure in 2016, claiming that racism was no longer an issue in football.
“We need to hear the players and what they need to work in a safer environment. We are very serious about it.”
“We need harder punishments. We can’t tolerate anymore racism in football. As president of FIFA, I feel I needed to talk personally with Vinicius about it.”
It is not yet clear whether Vinicius has accepted this role. If the Brazilian has openly requested or desires to lead this charge, then it is encouraging to see that his voice is being given a platform.
Should the contrary be true, this could be interpreted as a passing of the buck from FIFA and Infantino. Vinicius has been asking football and the governing bodies whether they will allow him to be racially abused, and it appears they would like him to answer his own questions rather than taking responsibility themselves as the leading authority in the area.
