Madrid mayor criticises Vinicius for saying Spain shouldn’t host FIFA World Cup 2030 if racism continues

Madrid mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida said Vinicius’ comments could be damaging to Spain as a host of the tournament and had painted the country as a racist nation.

Vinicius told CNN that he loved living in Madrid and that “the majority of people in Spain are not racist, but there is a small group that ends up affecting the image of the country.” | Photo Credit: Getty Images

The mayor of Madrid criticised Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior on Wednesday after the Brazilian said Spain shouldn’t host the 2030 FIFA World Cup if the country hasn’t come to grips with racism in football by then.

Vinicius told CNN in an interview that “if there is no progress (on racism) before 2030, they should change the host nation” for the World Cup.

Madrid mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida said Vinicius’ comments could be damaging to Spain as a host of the tournament and had painted the country as a racist nation.

“We are aware that there are racist episodes in society and that we must work hard to put an end to them,” Martínez-Almeida said. “It’s unfair with Spain and with Madrid to say that we are a racist society.”

Vinicius told CNN that he loved living in Madrid and that “the majority of people in Spain are not racist, but there is a small group that ends up affecting the image of the country.”

Vinicius has been subjected to a series of racist insults since he joined Real Madrid in 2018.

Last year, he received widespread support from Spanish society after being insulted in a Spanish league game in Valencia, prompting several calls for changes in the fight against racism in the country.