FIFA president Gianni Infantino says he is "disgusted" by an incident that took place in an under-12 game in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
On the afternoon of October 19, an 11-year-old boy from Academia Desportiva Manthiqueira was racially abused by a fan at an under-12 Paulista Championship game against SC Corinthians Paulista.
As seen in footage posted by Brazilian outlet Globo, the boy sat on the field crying after verbal insults were thrown at him in the 54th minute.
Moments later, the anti-racism protocol was activated by referee Guilherme Drbochlaw and military police were called onto the Dario Rodrigues Leite pitch in Guaratingueta.
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The boy reported being racially abused and called "black", "familyless", and a "son of a b****", according to Globo. He did not return to the match due to 'emotional distress'.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has since posted a statement on the incident.
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"I am disgusted to learn that a 12-year-old player from Academia Desportiva Manthiqueira was subjected to racist abuse by a fan during a Campeonato Paulista Sub-12 match against SC Corinthians Paulista in São Paulo, Brazil," he wrote on Instagram.
"The referee implemented the "No Racism" campaign gesture to stop the match, and action was taken against the offender. I commend the referee for his swift and decisive action—we have a responsibility, especially and urgently to future generations, to eradicate racism and discrimination from our game.
"I will continue to be very clear about this: racism and discrimination are not just mistakes—they are crimes. All incidents of racism, whether in stadiums or online, must be duly punished both by football and by society as a whole.
"FIFA, including its Players' Voice Panel, will continue to work tirelessly on the Global Position Against Racism to ensure a lasting and responsible impact both on and off the field."
A 41-year-old woman was identified and arrested, according to the previously mentioned report, who claim that the court granted the woman provisional release with precautionary measures imposed following a custody hearing.
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In a police report, the woman claimed that she "did not commit the crime in question and that previous disagreements arose over matters related to, say, soccer."
She also expressed a desire to sue the boy's mother for threatening her.
Mother of 12-year-old footballer posts emotional statement following incident
Taking to social media, the mother of the Academia Desportiva Manthiqueira player has posted a lengthy letter as she emphasised that the fight against racism is "urgent and necessary."
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"I am the mother of 3 boys, a Brazilian citizen and an advocate for a childhood free from prejudice and racism," she wrote, as per Globo.
"I am writing this letter out of indignation at the unfortunate incident that occurred with my son on October 19th of this year.
"I never imagined going through this, I have never seen my son so upset, he is a child of only 12 years old, and he had already been the target of some parents with insults and verbal aggression, during football matches, many times, uttering foul words, but last Sunday, October 19th, it happened again and this time there were racist insults.
"As a mother, my heart breaks, because I would never have the courage to curse any child on or off the field. We parents are there to cheer and support our children, regardless of the final score and not to curse a child.
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"This was unacceptable, it is not a simple offense, it is violence that harms dignity, destroys innocence and leaves scars that time will hardly erase.
"It is important to emphasize that my son had already reported at home the insults heard in the previous game, but we advised him not to care, even though it was a cruel act because we are talking about a soccer match for 12-year-old children, where we parents have to be an example.
"How painful it is to see your child leaving a stadium the way he did, and some parents saying it was “nonsense”, I hope from the bottom of my heart that this doesn’t happen to your children.
"Children in their purity, joy and love for football should not experience the weight of discrimination, but rather be surrounded by care, respect and love.
"Seeing adults who should be role models act in such a cruel way and still hear from a mother: "we took him for Christ anyway", unfortunately the fight against racism is still urgent and necessary, we cannot trivialize this inhumane act.
"In my opinion, nothing justifies insulting a child. In my opinion, it wasn't a joke, it wasn't a misunderstanding, but rather an inhumane and cruel act. We need to view this episode not just as an isolated incident, but as a warning. Every word, every prejudiced attitude reinforces a structure of exclusion that limits opportunities, destroys dreams, and violates human dignity, especially when it comes to children.
"It is worth mentioning that my son was brave enough to speak out, and what about children who, out of fear or concern of having their dreams interrupted, keep it to themselves?
Many children give up on their careers, often become depressed, and end up taking their own lives, all because they hear empty words from people who lack love, empathy, sisterhood, and resilience.
"Have these parents ever stopped to think about what it might be like if it were their children? We cannot remain silent, much less trivialize something as serious as the crime of racial abuse, which is covered by the Penal Code. It undermines self-esteem and causes trauma. An offensive word spoken in childhood can echo throughout life, influencing an athlete's confidence and performance, both on and off the field.
"However, contrary to what was said to my son there, words like "no family" don't reflect the reality of the facts, because he has a family, and we are here together to ensure that this doesn't shake or interrupt his dreams and projects. Silence in the face of all this, for me, is complicity. May this letter serve as a mother's plea that no child anywhere be hurt again by prejudice, racism, or by her own opinion of the child.
"Finally, the reflection is that humanity should think before speaking, act consciously, because the responsibility for a just and humane society is ours. WE DON'T NEED TO BE BLACK TO FIGHT RACISM, WE NEED TO BE HUMAN!!!"
Topics: Brazil, Gianni Infantino, FIFA
Jack Kenmare