FIFA: 16 legends form the voice of players to eliminate racial discrimination, Drogba Sun Jihai is on the list

FIFA today announced the roster of the Voice of Players’ group, which consists of 16 legendary men and women’s football stars, who will make every effort to eliminate racial discrimination in the football world.

Voice of Players' Group supports global anti-racism actions and participates in the fight against racial discrimination through personal experience and leadership. The group oversees and provides recommendations for anti-racism initiatives based on global anti-racist actions, promotes football education at all levels and serves as a think tank for new ideas.

The group advocates for cultural change to ensure consistent implementation of anti-racist measures under the framework of global anti-racist action, aiming to ensure a lasting and responsible impact on and off the court. The Voice of Players Group was formed under the fifth pillar of FIFA's global anti-racism action, which was unanimously adopted by 211 member states at the 74th FIFA Congress held in Bangkok, Thailand on May 17 last year.

The Voice of Players' Group members include: Honorary Captains George Via (Liberia), Emmanuel Adebayo (Togo), Messi Akid (Nigeria), Ivan Cordoba (Colombia), Didier Drogba (Côte d'Ivoire), Calilu Fadiga (Senegal), Formiga (Brazil), Jessica Juala (France), Maya Jackman (New Zealand), Sun Jihai (China), Bryce Matuidi (France), Aya Miyama (Japan), Lota Schelling (Sweden), Brianna Scurry (US), Mikele Sylvester (France) and Juan Pablo Solin (Argentina). FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: "The Voice of Players Group is the result of a unanimous vote among all 211 FIFA member states to clearly state that the world is united against racial discrimination in football through a global anti-racism action. As part of this action, we will make players the core force driving this change for the first time. We are very fortunate to have these passionate and influential individuals joining, each with their own unique experience."

The 16 panelists will support football education at all levels and promote new ideas for lasting change. They will further promote the transformation of football culture and ensure that anti-racist measures are not only discussed but are put into action on and off the court.

"We must be clear: racism and discrimination are not only wrong, they are crimes. Both racial discrimination happening on the court and online must be punished by the football community and society."

panelists will play an important role in educating various groups, including players participating in the FIFA Youth Championships, about racial discrimination and its impact on players, other individuals and football. The group will also provide support and practical advice to help people join the ranks of anti-racial discrimination, which is a crime in many countries. Members will also work to raise awareness of the recent strengthened anti-racist measures in their areas, which have been approved by the FIFA Council.

"Football brings unity and development, and also enhances humanity." Honorary Captain George Wea said, "I will do everything I can to promote the sport as always, because football is life. I am honored to be in this role."

At the 74th FIFA Congress, FIFA and its member associations jointly committed to supporting "Global Anti-racism Action", a unified initiative based on five key pillars:

1: Rules and Sanctions

Pillar 2: Action on the field

Pillar 3: Criminal charges

Pillar 4: Education

Pillar 5: Voice of players in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 17, during the 74th FIFA Congress, FIFA President Gianni Infantino delivered a speech at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC), announcing the Global Anti-Racism Action Initiative. FIFA has taken substantial action on these five pillars. For example, under Pillar 1, the FIFA Code of Discipline (FDC) has been recently updated, including increased fines and enhanced accountability. The maximum fine amount has been significantly increased, with a cap of CHF 5 million now, and players and officials can also help identify perpetrators of racial discrimination. The three-step anti-discrimination process has been incorporated into Article 15 of the FDC, which includes specific anti-racist measures such as “no racist gestures” (Pillar 2). To ensure consistent implementation, all FIFA member associations must adjust their disciplines to comply with the general principles of the FDC.

Meanwhile, FIFA social media protection services continue to provide packages of evidence after the FIFA event to assist prosecutions at the national level (Pillar 3). Since the service kicked off the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, more than 100 evidence packages have been distributed and 33 million posts and comments on more than 15,000 social media accounts have been analyzed.

As part of the “racism-free” and “no discrimination” campaign, FIFA shares educational materials with players, coaches, officials and audiences, and plans to launch a deep e-learning tool for member associations later this year. Pillar 4's work has also expanded to children and young people to deliver "non-discrimination" sports resources through the "Football on Campus" program. The Voice of the Players Group plays a central role in advancing “Global Anti-racism Action” and will play a particularly active role in formulating and implementing educational initiatives.