FIFA admits football has a problem with racism

International forums do not very often admit evidence. The International Football Federation has been fighting racism in society for a very long time and has come to the point where it recognizes that the sport it sponsors also has this problem. The president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, called for "unity in the fight against racism (...) and violence", acknowledging that these problems exist in football. "There are problems in football," said Infantino, who made an appeal: "We must be united to fight racism. Vinicius (n.r. - the Brazilian striker of the Real Madrid team) and others are suffering because of racism. There is no reason for these attacks against them. We must be united against the violence that exists in the world." "We have to act together with governments, teams and players. Going to a match should be a celebration," continued Infantino, who spoke in front of Uruguayan and Paraguayan presidents Luis Lacalle Pou and Santiago Peña, but in the absence of their counterpart Argentinian Javier Milei. These three countries will host the inaugural matches of the 2030 World Cup, before the rest of the competition takes place in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Several soccer matches, particularly in Europe, have again been disrupted in recent weeks by racist incidents in the stands, which have sometimes forced referees to stop sports disputes. Brazil forward Vinicius is a frequent target of such insults in Spanish stadiums and recently broke down in tears when speaking at a press conference about the fight against discrimination.