Vinícius Jr. tells CNN that he and Real Madrid teammates would walk off the pitch in reaction to racist abuse

Real Madrid star Vinícius Jr. has told CNN that he and his teammates will walk off the pitch if the racist abuse he’s suffered in recent years continues this season.

Vinícius Jr. breaks down in tears. The painful toll of the racism he faces with uncomfortable regularity when playing for Real Madrid is clear to see in his face. That was back in April, when Vinícius was asked by reporters ahead of Brazil’s international against Spain about his ongoing fight against racism. He said it had reduced his desire to continue playing soccer. The racist incidents directed towards him in Spain include an effigy of the Brazilian being hanged from a bridge before his side’s clash against city rival Atlético Madrid in January 2023 and persistent racial abuse in a match against Valencia later that year. Racist slurs have also been caught on camera during Real’s matches at Osasuna, Mallorca, Real Valladolid and Barcelona. Fast-forward five months and Vinícius is rewatching footage of that emotional press conference. He says opening up was a struggle, but something that he felt was necessary. “Talking about racism is always very difficult because in the last season here in Madrid, it happened to me a lot – and it’s not even close to what normal people suffer in the streets,” he tells CNN Senior Sport Analyst Darren Lewis. “And I always think about that.