Just months before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off, the world of football is again rocked by cases of discrimination both off and on the pitch.
Members of the football community, including footballers and fan groups, have long warned of pervasive discrimination in the sport.
During a UEFA Champions League match this month, Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior reported Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni directed a racial slur towards him. Making matters worse, Benfica’s manager, José Mourinho, sought to blame Vinícius for instigating the alleged abuse in the way he celebrated a goal. Victim-blaming doesn’t just obstruct the fight against racism, it fuels and legitimizes it.
Reports allege that Prestianni later claimed he used a homophobic slur against Vinícius, not a racial one. If true, that would be an appalling attempt to refute the allegations.
Fellow players expressed support for Vinícius, who has been a repeated victim of racial abuse. UEFA, European football’s governing body, has opened an investigation and issued a provisional suspension for Prestianni.
Meanwhile in the UK, the Football Association (FA) recently charged Cardiff City in response to its fans directing homophobic chants at opponents Chelsea during a December English Football League Cup match. The FA also sanctioned Reading’s kitman, Richard Bone, for making homophobic comments toward referee Matt Corlett during an August 2025 game.
These cases come after FIFA, the global governing body for football, egregiously canceled its own planned anti-racism and anti-discrimination campaign at the 2025 Club World Cup in the US. FIFA did not share the reasons, and it has been described as a step backward by fans and rights groups including Human Rights Watch.
Under the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, FIFA has a responsibility to tackle human rights risks, including discrimination.
“Vinícius’ case and continued reports of homophobic chants remind us of the hate faced by many in football simply because of who they are,” said Andrea Florence, executive director of the Sport and Rights Alliance. “We are concerned hate speech is likely to occur during the 2026 World Cup.”
Given the continued prevalence of discrimination in football, FIFA should be setting an example, not avoiding its responsibilities. FIFA should reinstate its anti-discrimination campaigns ahead of the tournament and consider imposing harsher punishments for any discrimination, whether by players, staff, or fans.
