In a historic move, Brazil’s men’s national team wore black kits for the first time in their 109-year history during a friendly against Guinea in Spain as part of a campaign against apartheid.
Before the match at the Espanyol Stadium in Barcelona, the players of both teams observed a minute of silence either by kneeling or sitting on the pitch.
For the first 45 minutes of the game, Brazil played in black shirts, shorts and socks before switching back to their traditional yellow jerseys after halftime. On the front of the shirts was the campaign slogan, “Com Racismo nao tem jogo,” which translates to “With racism, no games.”
The campaign, endorsed by the sport’s world governing body, FIFA, is an initiative by the Brazilian federation to combat racism in football and society. The federation released a statement on Saturday, stressing its commitment to end apartheid.
One of Brazil’s star players, Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, has been the victim of persistent racist abuse, with Spain’s La Liga reporting ten incidents involving the Brazilian forward to prosecutors during the 2022-2023 season. . FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently met the Brazilian delegation and expressed his full support for the campaign against racism.
In the match against Guinea, Brazil won 4–1, with goals from Joelinton, Rodrigo, Eder Militeu and Vinicius. Guinea’s only goal was scored by Gerasi.
VinÃcius was honored to wear the iconic number 10 jersey, historically associated with the legendary Pele, for the first time he wore the number, as confirmed by the Brazilian Federation. Infantino invited VinÃcius to join the FIFA Anti-Racism Committee, which will include players who will contribute to developing strategies to combat discrimination in football.
Brazil’s next friendly is scheduled for Tuesday against Senegal in Lisbon, Portugal, where the team will continue its campaign against racism. This pivotal moment in Brazilian football history underscores their commitment to combating racism and promoting inclusion in the sport.
