Footballers are still regularly subjected to racism, on and off the pitch. One in six players based out of their native country have faced discrimination, according to a FIFPRO survey of 14,000 players.

The racist abuse towards FC Porto player Moussa Marega highlights once again the failure to protect professional footballers from discrimination and racial vilification.

A four-year research project has been commissioned in collaboration with FIFPRO, Fare, Erasmus University and UEFA. Chaired by Prof.dr. Jacco van Sterkenburg, this research project falls under the Chair on Race, Inclusion and Communication within the Erasmus School of History, Culture & Communication.

Marvin Bartley has previously spoken about the abuse players are subjected to through social media, however he maintains that this is not the only vehicle for discrimination in football.  

The authentic and raw views of professional footballers about the personal impact of discrimination on their lives feature in a new FIFPRO report called ‘What Equal Playing Field?’

Players in the Netherlands will collectively walk-off the pitch if they are confronted with racial abuse during a match

Vinicius Jr vowed to continue his fight against racism after three fans were jailed for abusing him. The racist chants were aimed at the Real Madrid star during a La Liga game at Valencia's Mestalla Stadium on 21 May 2023.

Football is one of the most multicultural work environments today. Players of various racial and ethnic backgrounds come from every part of the world.

Clearly it exists in football, the most popular sport in my country, and the situation has worsened over the years.

To emphasise that social media companies, regulators and governments must do more to eradicate online discriminatory abuse against players and other users of their platforms, as well as to highlight that the fight against discrimination in football must be urgently accelerated, FIFPRO will be joining players, fellow unions and a substantial amount of other organisations in a social media boycott from 15:00 (British time) on Friday 30 April to 23:59 on Monday 3 May.