Iionel Messi faced calls on Wednesday to apologize for the racist chants made by Argentine players after winning the Copa América.
An Argentine government official said Messi, who is the team’s captain, and the president of the country’s football federation, Claudio Tapia, should apologize after a video was shared on social media showing members of Argentina’s triumphant team singing a racist chant about French players with African heritage.
Midfielder Enzo Fernandez said he was “really sorry” for the incident and his Premier League club Chelsea said it had initiated disciplinary action, describing the discriminatory behavior as “completely unacceptable”.
It is unclear from the video whether Messi – widely considered one of the greatest football players of all time – took part in the chant. But Argentina’s undersecretary of sports, Julio Garro, said he should apologize.
“The captain of the team must also come forward and apologize for this case. The same president of the AFA (Argentine Football Association)”, said Garro in statements on the radio. “I think it’s appropriate. This leaves us as a country in a bad position, with so much glory.”
Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 on Sunday in Miami Gardens, Florida. Afterwards, a video posted on Instagram showed Fernández and Argentina players singing about the French team as they celebrated.
The same chants – from some Argentine fans – appeared before the team beat France in the 2022 World Cup final. The derogatory chants highlight French players of African descent, from various countries, and French passport holders.
FIFA said it was also investigating the incident after the French football federation pledged to file a complaint with the sport’s world governing body over “racist and discriminatory remarks”.
Chelsea’s response came after one of Fernandez’s club teammates, French defender Wesley Fofana, posted the video to his social media accounts on Tuesday and called it “uninhibited racism.”
Fofana has family ties to the Ivory Coast and is among several black French players in Chelsea’s starting lineup.
“We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive club where people of all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome,” Chelsea said in a statement on Wednesday. “We recognize and appreciate our player’s public apology and will use this as an opportunity to educate.
“The Club instigated an internal disciplinary procedure.”
Fernandez apologized for “getting carried away by the euphoria of the Copa América celebrations”.
“That video, that moment, those words do not reflect my beliefs or my character,” he said on Instagram. “I’m really sorry.”
Fernandez became the most expensive player in British football history after joining Chelsea from Benfica for £106.7 million ($131.4 million) in 2023.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said football and its 211 national federations must have a zero-tolerance approach to racism and, in May committed to relaunching a task force to monitor incidents.
“FIFA is aware of a video circulating on social media and the incident is being investigated,” the governing body said on Wednesday. “FIFA strongly condemns any form of discrimination by anyone, including players, fans and officials.”
It is unclear what jurisdiction FIFA has over the incident on a team bus following a tournament, but the governing body could likely act if the Argentine federation’s handling of the case is deemed unsatisfactory.
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Debora Rey contributed to this Buenos Aires story
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
