Vinicius says Spain should lose 2030 World Cup unless racism declines

MADRID: Brazilian striker Vinicius Junior has called for Spain to be stripped of its 2030 World Cup hosting duties unless it makes progress on the issue of racism in stadiums.

The Real Madrid star, who has repeatedly been the victim of racist abuse from opposition fans at La Liga matches, said during an interview broadcast on CNN on Tuesday that more needed to be done to change attitudes in Spanish society.

“Until 2030, there is a lot of room for improvement, so I hope that Spain can evolve and understand how serious it is to insult someone because of the colour of their skin,” the 24-year-old striker said. “If by 2030 things don´t improve, I think we have to move the location because if a player doesn´t feel comfortable and safe playing in a country where they can suffer racism, it´s a bit difficult.” His comments caused an uproar in Spain, which will host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Morocco, with three matches also taking place in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

“Spain is in no way a racist country,” Vinicius´s Real Madrid teammate Dani Carvajal told a news conference on Wednesday, adding Spain “does not deserve to be deprived of the World Cup”.