Zürich (Switzerland), 20 March 2026 – “As you all know, the game is a beautiful game that we all play together, but it's mentally and physically draining when we have people that throw racism to players,” said Ms. Mercy Akide-Udoh, a football legend who played for Nigeria in three FIFA Women's World Cups and two Olympic Games and is a member of the FIFA Players’ Voice Panel.
From racist incidents in stadiums to waves of abuse on social media, racism continues to affect football around the world. For those targeted, the consequences extend far beyond the end of the match, affecting mental health, professional careers and the sense of safety and dignity that sport should provide.
“Football is the most global sport in the world,” said Mr. Mikaël Silvestre, a former French national team player and also a member of the FIFA Players’ Voice Panel against Racism. “Every weekend billions of people watch the game. That visibility gives football enormous power to inspire people, especially young people. But it also means that when something goes wrong, the whole world sees it.”
Recent incidents have brought renewed attention to the issue. Racism directed at players as well as referees and coaches —from the world stage to grassroots football— has sparked outrage far beyond the football community and reignited discussions about how institutions should respond.
“These situations remind us that racism in football is not only a sport issue, it is a societal issue,” Mr. Silvestre said. “Football authorities can take disciplinary measures, and those are important. But sanctions in sport alone are not always enough. When racism occurs, there must also be strong legal frameworks and effective criminal justice responses.”
Addressing racism in football therefore requires more than action by sporting institutions alone. It also requires appropriate criminal legislation and victim-centered and trauma-informed responses to ensure that victims can report crimes safely and obtain justice.
Against this backdrop, and in the lead-up to the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, criminal justice experts, researchers, policymakers and former players gathered at the headquarters of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) in Zurich on 19–20 March for an Expert Group Hearing on “Strengthening Criminal Justice Responses to Racism in Football.”
“Football cannot solve this challenge by itself,” Mr. Silvestre added. “We need cooperation with law enforcement, prosecutors, policymakers and international institutions. If we truly want to protect players, supporters and communities, racism must be treated with the seriousness it deserves.”
Some countries have begun to develop more specialized approaches. In Spain, for example, prosecutors and investigators are increasingly working within dedicated frameworks to address hate crimes and hate speech. Mr. Raúl Rodríguez Porras, Deputy Director General for Legal Affairs at the National Higher Council of Sport, emphasized the importance of specialized expertise within the justice system.
“Specialized prosecutors are crucial in these cases,” he explained. “They follow specific guidelines on how to gather evidence and demonstrate to courts the seriousness of these acts. In Spain we are beginning to see decisions convicting perpetrators in such cases.”
In the UK, the UK Football Policing Unit works closely with football organizations and social media platforms to ensure accountability for online hate against players including in cases where the offenders are overseas. Mr. Mike Ankers, Deputy Director of the Unit, highlighted the importance of having the UNODC support including to ensure that police and judicial cooperation can take place in such cases: “What would be really useful is having coordination across countries, so that authorities can pick up the phone and work together when an offence may be prosecutable under another jurisdiction.”
Players participating in the FIFA Players’ Voice Panel described the emotional toll of racism and the barriers that often prevent incidents from being reported. Uncertainty, fear of retaliation and of impact on their careers, and lack of trust in institutions often discourage victims from seeking justice.
“Sometimes it makes players withdraw and feel alone,” said Ms. Akide-Udoh. “When someone targets you with racist insults, the harm is very real. It affects how you see people and how safe you feel.”
Ms. Akide-Udoh stressed the urgency of ensuring that victims are heard and supported.
“Players need us to speak up now, not later,” she said. “We must help lawmakers understand that this behaviour is unacceptable and deeply harmful. Perpetrators need to understand the harm they are causing.”
Participants emphasized the importance of victim-centred responses, including access to information and legal aid, simple reporting mechanisms, specialized investigative capacity, and support services that are equipped to address the harm caused by racist abuse.
During the closing session, Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, reaffirmed the importance of the partnership with UNODC to ensure accountability for racism in the game and to strengthen responses that protect victims. He highlighted that for FIFA this work was an essential key action under its Global Stand Against Racism.
The meeting outcomes will be presented at the next United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. UNODC aims at continuing providing technical assistance to countries and sports organizations in this area in accordance with its mandates and expertise on access to justice, victim support and hate crime.
These efforts aim to ensure that when racism occurs in football, victims are not left to face it alone, and that justice systems are equipped to respond effectively.
As Mr. Silvestre noted during the discussions, football carries enormous influence around the world —and with that influence comes responsibility.
“If we work together across sport and justice systems,” he said, “we can send a clear message: racism has no place in football.”
Pictures: FIFA Digital Assets Hub
