In FIFA 23 Ultimate Team, players can make their own teams with their favourite football players, jerseys, venues, and more. But with this freedom comes risks, as some people use the system to spread racist and offensive content.
In a recent episode, a professional FIFA 23 player stood up against racism and reported an opponent for calling Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. by a racist team name. This blog post goes into detail about what happened and shows how racism is still a problem in both real and virtual sports.
O jogador profissional de FIFA 23 Miguel "SpiderKong" denunciou nesta quarta-feira um time no modo Ultimate Team que possui ofensa racista contra Vinícius Jr.
A equipe tinha um escudo do Valencia, da Espanha, com "Monicius Jr" como nome do clube pic.twitter.com/QeJRS8pcWC
— ge (@geglobo) June 1, 2023
The Incident: SpiderKong Reports Offensive Team Name
SpiderKong, a professional FIFA 23 player, saw that his opponent’s team was called “Monicius Jr.” and had the Valencia badge. It’s important to know that “mono” means “monkey” in Spanish. SpiderKong was upset by the racist tone, so he said he didn’t like it and promised to report the opponent after the game.
Ongoing Issue of Racism Directed at Vinicius Jr.
In FIFA 23, the thing that happened to Vinicius Jr. is not a unique case. In May 2023, Valencia banned a fan for life after they made racist gestures at Vinicius Jr. during a game against Real Madrid. The club is still working with the police to find and ban other people who have hurt people of other races. Seven people were also arrested in Spain because they said racist things about Vinicius Jr. These things show how important it is to get rid of racism in football, both on and off the game.
Taking a Stand Against Racism
SpiderKong’s quick reaction and report show how important it is for the FIFA 23 community to fight racism in a proactive way. It is important for the people who make games and run platforms to act quickly when this happens. When things like this happen, it’s a good lesson that stronger steps need to be taken to make gaming more welcoming and respectful for everyone.
The fact that a racist team name was used against Vinicius Jr. in FIFA 23 is a stark warning that racism is still a problem in both real and virtual football. When pro players like SpiderKong speak out against this kind of offensive behaviour, they help fight racism and make the game community more open to everyone.
As the footballing world tries to get rid of racism, it is important that both game developers and players work together to make sure that everyone, no matter their race or background, feels safe and appreciated.
