Published: June 23, 2025, 03:45 PM
Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger has alleged that he was racially abused by Pachuca captain Gustavo Cabral during Sunday’s Club World Cup fixture in Charlotte. The incident occurred in stoppage time of Madrid’s 3-1 victory, leading to the activation of FIFA’s anti-racism protocol.
Rudiger immediately reported the abuse to referee Ramon Abatti, who then made the now-standard ‘X’ gesture with his arms — a signal introduced by FIFA to highlight instances of racial abuse during matches. This protocol was formally adopted at the FIFA Congress in May 2024 to empower players, coaches, and officials to take a clear stand against racism.
Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso confirmed that an investigation had been initiated. “Toni has informed us, the protocol was followed, and an investigation is ongoing,” said Alonso. “We fully support him. This kind of behavior is completely unacceptable.”
Cabral, however, denied using any racial slur. Speaking to reporters, he claimed the altercation was a heated exchange stemming from a physical clash, and that he used a common Argentine insult not intended as a racist remark. “He said I hit him, we argued, and I used a phrase we often say in Argentina. It wasn’t racial,” Cabral said.
Despite Cabral’s explanation, Rudiger’s representatives reaffirmed the player`s account. The Athletic has reached out to FIFA for official comment but has yet to receive a response.
Pachuca’s head coach, Jaime Lozano, said he was unaware of the incident until told by reporters after the match. “I haven’t spoken to Cabral yet. I’ve never seen this kind of behavior from him before. But racism has no justification, and I’ll discuss the matter with him,” he said, adding, “I can vouch for his character, but we will take this seriously.”
Rudiger, 32, has previously written about his experiences with racism in football. In a 2021 piece for The Players’ Tribune, he criticized the footballing community’s lack of concrete action: “There’s an investigation, but nothing really happens… Nothing ever really changes.”
The incident also comes amid growing scrutiny of FIFA’s approach to racism at the Club World Cup. According to The Athletic, FIFA had opted not to display anti-racism signage or videos in U.S. venues hosting the tournament — a departure from its practices at previous events such as the 2022 World Cup in Qatar or the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
FIFA eventually showed anti-racism messaging for one day — on International Day for Countering Hate Speech — during a match between Manchester City and Wyad AC. The move came amid criticism from human rights groups and questions over whether current political tensions in the U.S. influenced the decision to scale back diversity messaging.
Despite being down to 10 men from the 7th minute after Raul Asencio’s red card, Real Madrid secured a 3-1 win over Pachuca.
