Real Madrid striker Vinicius Jr. has suggested that Spain should be banned from co-hosting the 2030 World Cup unless measures are taken to tackle racism.
The two-time Champions League winner and Ballon d’Or contender has been the target of racist abuse 16 times in the past 18 months while playing for Real Madrid.
Earlier this year, he burst into tears during a press conference where the topic was raised. The Brazilian has also spoken out about the need to take strong action against racism in football.
Speaking to CNN, Vinicius Jnr suggested that removing Spain as co-host of the 2030 World Cup should be considered as an option to ensure action is taken.
Spain is one of the three hosts of the tournament, along with Morocco and Portugal, while Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay will host the first three matches.
Vinicius Jnr has suggested Spain could be dropped as World Cup hosts if racism is not tackled
Spain is expected to be one of the three main co-hosts of the World Cup, along with Morocco and Portugal
FIFA confirmed the plan for the 2030 tournament last year, with six countries set to host matches
“If the situation regarding racism in Spain does not improve before 2030, the World Cup will have to be moved to another location,” Vinicius Jr. said.
“I hope that Spain can evolve and understand how serious it is to offend someone because of the color of their skin. We still have a lot of room for evolution until 2030.
‘So I hope that Spain can develop and understand how serious it is to insult someone because of the color of their skin. Because if nothing changes in 2030, we will have to change the location. Because if a player does not feel comfortable and does not feel safe in a country where he can face racism, then it becomes a bit complicated.’
The 24-year-old previously revealed that he has held discussions with Real Madrid teammates about how they will deal with any further incidents that may occur in the coming months.
This means that the team agrees to leave the field if a player is racially abused by fans.
Vinicius Jnr had referred to a match against Valencia in May 2023, where the striker was was sent off in the closing stages after angrily responding to a barrage of racist abuse from the stands and getting into an altercation with a Valencia player.
His red card was later revoked, while three men were sentenced to eight months in prison in June for their racist remarks and gestures towards him.
Vinicius Jnr burst into tears as he spoke about racism at a press conference in March
He has been the target of abuse in Spain on 16 separate occasions over the past 18 months
Such a case occurred when Madrid played Valencia, with three men receiving prison sentences
LaLiga noted that this was “the first conviction of its kind in Spain” and Vinicius Jnr believes attitudes towards racism in the country are slowly changing.
“I want to do everything I can to change things, because there are many people in Spain, the majority, who are not racist,” he added. “A small group is, which ultimately affects the image of a country, where life is very good.
‘I love playing for Real Madrid. I love Spain because here I have the best conditions to live with my family.
“We hope that things can develop further. So far, they have, but they can develop much further and by 2030, cases of racist speech and racism can and should decrease.”
Spain hosted Brazil earlier this year at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid’s stadium, as part of an anti-racism match in support of Vinicius Jnr.
The football governing body FIFA this week launched a new universal gesture to call out racist violence during matches.
FIFA has launched a new universal ‘No Racism’ arm gesture to flag incidents of racist abuse
The “No Racism” gesture, where participants cross their arms when they believe an incident has occurred, gives players, referees and team officials the power to take a stand against racism.
The new gesture, which was approved at FIFA’s congress earlier this year, is to be implemented as part of FIFA’s existing three-step procedure for cases of alleged racism.
By crossing their hands at the wrists, players can immediately inform the referee that they are the target of racist abuse. The referee then starts the three-step procedure.
The first step is to stop the match. If the abuse continues, the match is suspended and the players and match officials leave the field of play. If the incident does not stop, the match is stopped in the third step.
