Justin Morrow: Today's response to discrimination will shape the leaders of tomorrow

About the author
Justin Morrow played in Major League Soccer for 12 years and now holds an executive role tackling racism in football. Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the former USA international talks about the current climate surrounding discrimination in the game and his positive outlook for the future.

By Justin Morrow 

Being subjected to racism or discrimination is an isolating experience. Whether in person or online, being singled out for abuse can leave you feeling secluded, unwanted and dispirited. As humans, we’re not equipped to process such an onslaught of emotions alone. 

Having a community reach out to you, either publicly or privately, is invaluable in these circumstances. That support system helps players feel safe and part of a fight against the very behaviours that have attempted to pull them down. 

In my work with Black Players for Change, where we strive for equality and inclusion in sport, I’ve found you can’t underestimate the importance of community. We come together as Black players, coaches and executives, and we’re there for each other. Whether it’s networking, meetings or even playing against one another, we’ve built a powerful connection.

The sense of community isn’t always a local phenomenon either. The Global Player Council with FIFPRO is creating real opportunities for players to share their experiences and build connections around the world. It brings together different elements of the football ecosystem and shares best practices that can not only help us effectively address and prevent incidents of racism, but also understand the root causes of discrimination. 

Last year, FIFPRO, World Leagues Association and the International Labour Organization came together to create a list of recommendations on anti-racism initiatives: policies and procedures that unions, leagues and stakeholders can commit to in their efforts to create safer environments for players. It was a powerful collaboration.  

With the World Cup coming up, it’s more important than ever that we present a united front against racism. 

It’s football’s biggest stage. Players are carrying the expectations of their countries, team-mates, fans and families. The pressure is immense. The thought that they might also have to deal with discrimination or racism on top of that is unfair. 

It’s imperative we continue to create an environment where players can solely focus on their job. And that’s a huge task. The messaging from all parties, including in stadiums needs to be aligned because all eyes are on the game. We need to make it clear that discrimination of any form has no place in football. 

Campaigns, messaging and our responses to discrimination are all so important, especially on a stage as prominent as the World Cup, but to really make a difference we have to nurture a better understanding among senior players, fans, staff and the wider football industry. And, perhaps most crucially, we need the right people to lead the conversation.  

While players should always be at the absolute centre of the game, they don’t necessarily have the answers or training to personally deal with many of the issues that football presents. Nor should we expect them to. There should be people in their corner, and amongst those people should be educated experts to define the best ways to tackle discrimination.  

There is so much research and data analysis involved in understanding the nuances of these issues within the game, and I would love to see the industry embrace this kind of learning. 

We create campaigns, initiatives, and slogans with the best intentions, but then hand them over to people with no real background in racial issues. The result is often that these efforts appear performative rather than genuinely progressive. 

I am part of a player education initiative with Major League Soccer called Playing As One, which runs 90-minute courses for players every season before they even play a game. It educates them on cultural awareness, anti-discrimination and anti-racism. It’s been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. 

We see players asking questions, being vulnerable, challenging societal norms and showing a real commitment to being part of the solution. Since the programme’s introduction, we’ve seen a 70 percent decrease in incidents of racism and discrimination on the field – progress that stems from education. 

Focused education is so important in today’s society, where discrimination seems inseparable from the world that we live in today. Global conflicts, divisions over political issues and the rapid advancement of technology all have a direct effect on the game, and in turn on the way we deal with discrimination and racism within it. 

The USA is still a relatively young country when it comes to football. It's only been around 30 years since the sport has come into prominence here and developed into the professional game it is today. Every year we see a huge increase in kids starting to play, and already at youth level we can see examples of racism and discrimination.

That sounds depressing. But it also offers a glimmer of hope. 

While we can clearly see reflections of society in today’s youth, we also see how they can be educated to respond with grace, responsibility and an understanding of what it means to speak out in the moment. I've seen very young teams walk off the pitch in protest against injustice. I’ve seen them fight to make their voices heard against discrimination. And it fills me with positivity that these young players will go on to become leaders in both the game and wider society.

Progress is never going to follow a linear path, but in so many ways we’ve come so far from where we were even 10 years ago. 

Players are more aware of the presence and effects of discrimination within football and are increasingly willing to lend their voices to address the issue at a greater depth. That’s encouraging because these personalities don’t only impact the game while they are playing; they often go on to take up positions of leadership elsewhere in the industry.

Today’s leaders are not sitting idle. We’ve taken huge steps over the past decade. But I have real hope the leaders of tomorrow will take us even further. Yes, things can seem bad at times. But I also see so much positivity in what has already been achieved, and in the young players, fans and leaders that the game is starting to produce.  This will always be what drives me forward, and fuel my commitment to making difference.