Argentina under fire over racist slur against France

By Aisha Dahuwa & Aisha Rufai Jega The Argentine national soccer team is facing intense scrutiny and potential disciplinary action from FIFA after players were recorded singing a racist and derogatory song about France during their Copa America 2024 celebrations. The chants, which were sung by Argentina players and supporters, included racist and homophobic slurs, […]

By Aisha Dahuwa & Aisha Rufai Jega

The Argentine national soccer team is facing intense scrutiny and potential disciplinary action from FIFA after players were recorded singing a racist and derogatory song about France during their Copa America 2024 celebrations.

The chants, which were sung by Argentina players and supporters, included racist and homophobic slurs, falsely stereotyping France squad members, including captain Kylian Mbappé, as being “all from Angola” or having a “Nigerian” mother and “Cameroonian” father.

The video of the chant was posted live on Instagram by Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who later apologized for his actions.

“I want to apologize sincerely for a video posted on my Instagram channel during the national team celebrations,” Fernandez said.

“The song includes highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words. I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologize for getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations.
“That video, that moment, those words, do not reflect my beliefs or my character. I am truly sorry.”

Meanwhile, the incident has sparked widespread condemnation from the French Football Federation, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), and other organizations.
“We strongly condemn the unacceptable racist and discriminatory comments made against the players of the French team,” said Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation.

“Faced with the seriousness of these shocking remarks, contrary to the values of sport and human rights, we have decided to directly challenge our Argentine counterpart and FIFA to file a lawsuit for abusive remarks of a racial and discriminatory nature.”

FIFA said it “strongly condemns any form of discrimination by anyone, including players, fans, and officials.”
Chelsea Football Club, where Fernandez plays, has also issued a statement, saying “we are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome.

“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.”

The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with several Chelsea players, including Fofana, Axel Disasi, and Malo Gusto, unfollowing Fernandez on Instagram.

Argentine’s football federation is yet to comment on the incident.