Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has confirmed that defender Antonio Rudiger reported a racist incident during their Club World Cup victory over Mexican side Pachuca in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The German international was involved in a stoppage-time clash with Pachuca captain Gustavo Cabral after claiming he had been fouled. Rudiger immediately spoke to referee Ramon Abatti Abel, who then signalled that FIFA’s anti-racism protocol had been activated by crossing his arms in front of his chest.
The incident occurred in the closing minutes of Real Madrid’s 3-1 win and tensions continued after the final whistle, with players from both sides engaging in heated exchanges.
Cabral has denied making any racist remarks towards Rudiger, stating instead that he used an expletive and called the defender a “coward” during their confrontation. “It was a fight. We collided. He said that I hit him with my hand, and then there was an argument and the referee made the racism sign, but I was telling him the same thing the whole time,” said the Argentine defender.
Speaking after the match, Alonso said: “Toni has informed us about something. We have to wait and see now. I think the FIFA protocol has been activated to investigate. But if something did happen, measures need to be taken and we support Antonio because this is something unacceptable.
“There’s no tolerance for this at any level of football and whenever it occurs, measures must be taken. That’s what Antonio has told us and we believe him.”
Under FIFA’s anti-racism protocol, referees are authorised to take a three-step approach: to stop the match, suspend it, and, if necessary, abandon it if the issue persists.
Pachuca head coach Jaime Lozano addressed the matter in his post-match press conference, saying: “I haven’t spoken to Cabral about this. I cannot give you an explanation about it because this is the first I have heard of this news. It cannot be justified at all. I’ve known him for a little while and I have never heard of something like that with Pachuca players. I cannot defend my captain at any cost but I will talk about it with him.”
FIFA has yet to issue a formal response, though BBC Sport has contacted the governing body for comment.
Rudiger, who previously spoke out about racism in football during his time at Chelsea in 2021, has been a vocal critic of the sport’s handling of discrimination. At the time, he remarked that “nothing ever really changes” despite ongoing campaigns, but vowed to “continue to fight” against racist abuse.
The incident comes amid criticism directed at FIFA for its apparent omission of anti-racism messaging at this year’s Club World Cup.