In a shocking statement… Vinicius: “For this reason, the organization of the 2030 World Cup must be withdrawn from Spain.”
Real Madrid’s Brazilian star Vinicius Junior has said that if the racism situation in Spain does not improve by 2030, it should be pulled from hosting the World Cup.
He added, in an interview with the American network CNN, that he hopes “that Spain will develop and understand the seriousness of insulting a person because of the color of their skin. We have a lot of room for improvement until 2030, because if things don’t evolve in 2030, I think we have to change the venue (the World Cup), because if a player doesn’t feel comfortable and safe playing in a country where he can suffer racism, it will be a bit complicated.”
The Brazilian international offers a solution, saying: “I want to do everything I can to change things, because there are many people in Spain, the majority, who are not racist. It is a small group, which affects the image of a country where it is good to live. I love playing for Real Madrid. I love Spain, there are the best conditions to live here with my family. “We hope that things will continue to evolve, but they can improve even more and by 2030, incidents of racism and racism can and must decrease.”
A few months ago, 3 Valencia fans were sentenced to 8 months in prison after being involved in racist abuse directed at Vinicius. The three people involved in the incident that took place in the stands of the Mestalla stadium, Valencia’s stronghold, on May 21, 2023, were sentenced, making it the first judicial decision against racist abuse during a football match in Spain.
He continued: “There’s a lot of talk about it at the club. “It’s not just me, but all the players that if this happens, we’ll all have to leave the pitch next time so everyone who insulted us will have to pay a much higher fine.”
Last March, before the friendly match between Brazil and Spain at the Santiago Bernabeu, Vinicius held a press conference where racism was the main topic and stressed: “I am not fighting Spanish fans, but rather racism in the world”. I spoke to many people who wanted to help me, there were people who would speak well of me and others who would speak badly of me. But I have to get used to it. I always think about helping all the organisations to fight racism. I have spoken with UEFA, FIFA and La Liga, and that is why things are improving and they are working, but it is also complicated, because racism is not a crime. The defence against racism does not have enough strength to fight it.
