Simon Hunter
REAL Madrid star Vinicius Jr. has said that Spain should lose its co-hosting role at the 2030 World Cup if more action is not taken to tackle racism within the sport.
The Brazilian forward has been subject to shocking abuse since playing for the Madrid club, and earlier this year broke down in tears at a press conference while he was discussing the subject.
His calls this week came while he was speaking to US cable news network CNN.
“If the situation with racism in Spain does not improve before 2030, the World Cup would have to be moved to a different location,” he said.
“I hope that Spain can evolve and understand how serious it is to insult someone because of the colour of their skin,” he continued.
“We have a lot of room for evolution until 2030,” he said.
The 24-year-old has been targeted with abuse as many as 16 times in the last 18 months in Spain, according to press reports.
He has reportedly held conversations with his teammates at Real Madrid about how they should deal with any such abuse in the future.
The two-time Champions League winner has said that the entire squad has agreed to leave the pitch should any racial abuse be directed by fans at players.
In May 2023, the Madrid forward was sent off the pitch during a game against Valencia after abuse was aimed at him from the stands.
The red card was later rescinded, and three men who were involved in the harassment were given eight-month jail terms thanks to their racist comments and gestures.
Spain will be serving as one of three hosts for the 2030 World Cup, along with Morocco and Portugal.
Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay will host the first three games of the tournament.
