Vinícius Jr has been the victim of various incidents of racism while playing with Real Madrid, none bigger than the incident the Brazilian had while playing against Valencia, which resulted with three fans sent to jail in June.
The Real Madrid star has been very outspoken over the racial comments he and other players have endured in LaLiga and Spain, and is committed to changing that status quo.
Vinícius Jr went as far as to state that if things don’t change in Spain, the country should be stripped of the privilege of hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup, “Until 2030, we have a lot of room to evolve,” Vinícius said in an interview with CNN. “I hope that Spain can evolve, and understand how serious it is to insult someone because of the color of their skin. 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.”
Madrid mayor down plays Vinicius Jr’s statements on racism
Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida seemed to have different sentiments over the issue of racism in Spain, “I hope he rectifies those statements immediately,” Martínez-Almeida said. “We are all aware that there are still racist episodes in society and we have to work hard to eliminate them, but it is deeply unfair to Spain and Madrid to say that we are a racist society as Vinícius has said.
“It jeopardizes the holding of the 2030 World Cup here in Madrid and in Spain … Even though he is an extraordinary footballer, that doesn’t mean he can put his foot in his mouth, and he has put his foot in his mouth.”
Since his arrival to Spain in 2018, Vinícius Jr has been a born winner at Real Madrid winning 13 titles at the club and playing in 269 games and scoring 84 goals.