Dani Carvajal, one of Real Madrid’s captains, firmly responded to Vinicius Junior’s remarks, which called for Spain to “evolve” in its handling of racism ahead of hosting the 2030 World Cup. The right-back said that he didn’t agree with the Brazilian’s take, saying that progress in that regard is being made and that Spain “isn’t a racist country.”
“We, as his teammates, stand firmly against any form of racism in the stadiums—that’s our responsibility. I understand what Vini goes through during those moments; we’ve been there by his side, supporting him both internally and publicly,” Carvajal said during a press conference ahead of Spain’s UEFA Nations League match against Serbia.
He further explained that he believes LaLiga is “making strides, evaluating protocol to combat racism so that those individuals who come to the stadiums to hurl insults, whether based on skin color or just to insult, are kept out of sporting events.”
But “beyond that group of people, who need to be removed from the sport,” Carvajal continued, “I don’t think Spain should lose the opportunity to host the World Cup. Spain is a country with rich cultural diversity. It’s important to emphasize that Spain is not a racist country—our nation is home to many different cultures.”
These declarations came after Vinicius told the press that he hoped Spain “can grow and understand” how serious the problem of racism was, and suggested that it things didn’t improve, “the venue should be changed, because if a player doesn’t feel comfortable and safe playing in a country where they might face racism, it’s a real problem.”
Vinicius continues his fight against racism in Spain
Since arriving in Spain in 2018, Vinicius has received racist insults on several occasions, including incidents in Barcelona and Mallorca. However, the biggest one took place in Mestalla in April 2023, which resulted in three fans sentenced to eight months in prison after pleading guilty. It was the first conviction for a racism case in professional football in Spain.
He recently said that he was ‘glad’ to help change the mentality in Spain. “Today, maybe some fans are still racist, but they are afraid to express themselves on the football field and in places where there are many cameras,” he told CNN on August 28.
The 2030 World Cup will take place in Spain, Morocco and Portugal. However, to commemorate the centenary of the first World Cup in 1930, three matches will take place in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay.