Argentina’s government say Messi should apologise for his teammates’ racist remarks

Julio Garro, Argentina’s Undersecretary of Sports, publicly stated that both Chiqui Tapia, president of the Argentina Football Federation (AFA), and Lionel Messi must apologise for the scenes witnessed following their Copa America victory, in which some Argentina players chanted racist and homophobic songs against France’s players. This call for an apology comes alongside what many to expect to be an upcoming official complaint from the French Football Federation (FFF) against the chants.

“The captain of the national team must come out and apologise. So should the president of the AFA. It makes us, as a country, look bad after so much happiness,” said the Undersecretary.

Argentina’s National Team defeated Colombia, with a goal by Lautaro Martínez, to win the 2024 Copa América. After the match, Enzo Fernández took to social media to record a video of the celebrations on the team bus, in which the Albiceleste players were seen and heard singing a song that included offensive and racist comments against the French squad.

The FFF is set to file a complaint with FIFA against the AFA for the songs sung against the French internationals: “They play for France but they are from Angola, how nice that they go running with transsexuals, their mother is Nigerian, their father is Cambodian but on their passport: French”. Enzo, author of the video, has already apologised via his social media.

However his own club, Chelsea, shortly after published that it will open “an internal disciplinary procedure”. Some of his teammates: Axel Disasi, Malo Gusto and Wesley Fofana, criticised the actions of the midfielder.