Kicknix

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso has come out in public support for defender Antonio Rüdiger’s racially abusive claims after Sunday’s 3–1 FIFA Club World Cup victory over Pachuca, with FIFA now on the case.

Late in the match at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, irritability boiled over when Rüdiger and Pachuca’s Gustavo Cabral stood up to each other. After alerting referee Ramon Abatti, Rüdiger pointed at Cabral and the referee conducted FIFA’s anti-racism protocol—putting his arms across his chest to signal a reported incident

At his post-match news conference, Alonso gave unequivocal support for his player:-
“We completely believe Toni and we trust him. This is not the acceptable behavior.”
He confirmed that FIFA has been notified and an official investigation is under way .

This development brings Real Madrid at the forefront of a broader battle to combat racism in football—also putting the limelight on FIFA’s commitment to use procedure when incidents occur.

After Real Madrid’s 3–1 Club World Cup 

Victory against Pachuca, Pachuca veteran Gustavo Cabral was accused of making a racist comment by defender Antonio Rüdiger. But 39-year-old Cabral denied the accusation vehemently:

“It was garbage, we bumped heads into one another.He said that I hit him on the hand and then there was a brawl.There was nothing there,” Cabral told reporters. “It was just an expression that we use very much in Argentina. We say ‘c*n de m**a’ (an insult to call someone a coward).that’s where it ended.”

He told the referee’s appeal to anti-racism protocol was a reaction to their on-field dispute—not to any racial insult. Cabral claimed that the fight escalated with Rüdiger challenging him to fight at the dressing room corridor end.

Pachuca manager Jaime Lozano also stated he had no knowledge of racist comments in the locker room and had not yet spoken with Cabral about what happened: “This is the first that I have heard of this news… this has never occurred with him or any Pachuca player.”

🔍 Rüdiger’s History with Racism in Football

Rüdiger’s latest statement is one of a worrying trend. He has been racially abused in previous spells at Chelsea (2019) and Roma and during games for Real in 2023. In a 2021 article for The Players’ Tribune, he lamented that “nothing ever really changes” despite campaigns—witness to the scale of the issue

“Tell me, why did.everybody feel good.when there is clearly racist abuse. it is always ‘complicated’? Maybe because it goes much deeper.”