Mar 27, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; United States of America midfielder Weston McKennie (8) works the ball around El Salvador midfielder Enrico Duenas (10) during the second half at Exploria Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
By Stacey Mickles on

After a hard-fought 2-1 loss to Panama Thursday in the Copa America tournament, the U.S. Men’s Soccer Team received some racist comments from fans.

Two players from the team,  22-year-old forward Folarin Balogun and 24-year-old defender Chris Richards, shared messages they got on their respective Instagram accounts which prompted the USMNT to release a statement.

“U.S. Soccer is aware of and deeply disturbed by the racist comments made online and directed at several of our men’s national team players following tonight’s match.

“There is absolutely no place in the game for such hateful and discriminatory behavior. These actions are not only unacceptable but also contrary to the values of respect and inclusivity that we uphold as an organization.

“U.S. Soccer stands firmly against racism in all forms and will continue to support our players.”

Racism in soccer is not new to the sport. A lot of black and brown players around the world have faced racial slurs for years. It’s an ugly side to the sport that few talk about and it’s not just happening to the US.

After Canada lost to Argentina, they too had to address the racist comment they also received after their loss and put out a statement as well condemning it.

Racism at soccer events needs to be addressed by the powers that be before it gets out of hand, which it may already have.

The U.S. men’s team will face Uraguay on Monday night.

(USMNT}

About Stacey Mickles

Stacey is a 1995 graduate of the University of Alabama who has previously worked for other publications such as Sportskeeda and Saturday Down South.

View all posts by Stacey Mickles