Infantino Condemns Vinicius Jr. Racism Incident, Declares 'No to All Forms of Discrimination!'

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) released an official statement via its 'X' account, in which President Gianni Infantino expressed his shock following an alleged racist incident targeting Real Madrid player Vinicius Junior during a UEFA Champions League playoff match between Benfica and Real Madrid.

In the aforementioned statement, Infantino affirmed: "I was shocked and saddened to see the alleged racist incident against Vinicius Junior in the Champions League match between Benfica and Real Madrid."

"There is no place for racism in our sport or in society. We need all stakeholders to take the necessary actions and hold those responsible accountable," Infantino added.

He continued: "At FIFA, through the Global Anti-Racism Initiative and the Player Voice platform, we are committed to ensuring the respect and protection of players, referees, and fans, and to taking appropriate action when any incident occurs."

He went on: "I commend referee François Letexier for activating the anti-racism protocol by using the hand signal to stop the match and address the situation."

He concluded: "FIFA and football stand in full solidarity with victims of racism and any form of discrimination. I will always continue to affirm: No to racism! No to any form of discrimination!"