Lionel Messi faced mounting pressure on Wednesday to apologize for racist chants made by Argentina’s players following their Copa America victory.
An Argentine government official urged Messi, the team captain, and Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), to issue an apology after a video surfaced on social media showing members of the team singing a racist chant about French players of African descent.
Midfielder Enzo Fernandez expressed regret for the incident, and his Premier League club Chelsea initiated disciplinary action, denouncing the discriminatory behavior as “completely unacceptable.”
The video does not clearly show Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time, participating in the chant. However, Argentina’s sports sub-secretary, Julio Garro, insisted that Messi should apologize.
“The national team captain must also come out to apologize for this case. The same AFA president,” Garro said in a radio interview. “I think it is appropriate. It leaves us as a country in a bad position, with so much glory.”
Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0 on Sunday at Miami Gardens, Florida. Following the match, a video posted on Instagram showed Fernandez and other Argentina players chanting about France’s team as they celebrated.
Similar chants emerged from some Argentina fans before the team’s victory over France in the 2022 World Cup final. These derogatory chants targeted French players of African heritage, who hold French passports.
FIFA announced it was investigating the incident after the French Football Federation pledged to file a complaint with the sport’s global governing body over the “racist and discriminatory remarks.”
Chelsea’s response came after France defender Wesley Fofana, a teammate of Fernandez, shared the video on his social media accounts Tuesday, labeling it “uninhibited racism.” Fofana, who has family ties to Ivory Coast, is among several Black French players in Chelsea’s first-team squad.
“We are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities, and identities feel welcome,” Chelsea stated on Wednesday. “We acknowledge and appreciate our player’s public apology and will use this as an opportunity to educate. The Club has instigated an internal disciplinary procedure.”
Fernandez apologized for “getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations.” He stated on Instagram, “That video, that moment, those words, do not reflect my beliefs or my character. I am truly sorry.”
Fernandez became the most expensive player in British soccer history after joining Chelsea from Benfica for 106.7 million pounds ($131.4 million) in 2023.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized the need for soccer and its 211 national federations to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to racism. In May, he committed to relaunching a task force to monitor such incidents.
“FIFA is aware of a video circulating on social media and the incident is being looked into,” the governing body stated on Wednesday. “FIFA strongly condemns any form of discrimination by anyone including players, fans, and officials.”
It remains unclear what jurisdiction FIFA has over an incident occurring on a team bus after a tournament, but the organization could take action if the AFA’s handling of the case is deemed inadequate.t
