FIFA Hands Didier Drogba, Emmanuel Adebayor Key Role in Billion-Dollar Global Fight Against Racism

FIFA has unveiled a powerful new Players’ Voice panel, enlisting some of football’s biggest icons — including Didier Drogba, Emmanuel Adebayor, Blaise Matuidi, and George Weah — to lead the fight against racism in the game.

The 16-member body brings together legends from across six confederations with one mission: to help eradicate racial discrimination from football once and for all.

Their mission is to support the global anti-racism movement, oversee strategies to fight racial discrimination, participate in educational initiatives, and contribute to implementing reforms.

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The members will also provide advice on various initiatives and help spread the "No Racism" campaign's message by sharing their personal stories.

FIFA has today unveiled the lineup for its Players' Voice panel, a 16-member group of male and female football legends fully committed to ending racism in the sport.

The members will serve as spokespeople for the global anti-racism movement, bringing their experience and leadership to the cause. Their role is to oversee and support initiatives stemming from this movement, promote education at all levels of football, and foster new ideas.

The panel advocates for a cultural shift and the widespread implementation of anti-racism measures throughout the football ecosystem to achieve sustainable and tangible results, both on and off the pitch.

Created as part of the fifth pillar of FIFA's global anti-racism initiative—unanimously approved by all 211 FIFA member associations at the 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand on May 17, 2024—the Players' Voice panel consists of the following members: George Weah (Liberia) as honorary captain, Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), Mercy Akide (Nigeria), Iván Córdoba (Colombia), Didier Drogba (Côte d'Ivoire), Khalilou Fadiga (Senegal), Formiga (Brazil), Jessica Houara (France), Maia Jackman (New Zealand), Sun Jihai (China PR), Blaise Matuidi (France), Aya Miyama (Japan), Lotta Schelin (Sweden), Briana Scurry (USA), Mikael Silvestre (France), and Juan Pablo Sorín (Argentina).

"The Players' Voice panel brings unique leadership and influence to football's joint efforts to combat racial discrimination and is an essential component of the global anti-racism movement," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

"We are incredibly fortunate to have such passionate and distinguished individuals who are making a decisive contribution to education, representing the panel at various events and conferences, and supporting players who have been victims of racist acts.

"Racism and discrimination are not only reprehensible, they are criminal offenses in many countries. Sanctions imposed by the football world alone are not enough to combat this misconduct; all racist incidents, whether in stadiums or online, must be fully prosecuted."

The panel members will play a crucial role in raising awareness among various groups, including players participating in FIFA youth competitions. By focusing on the impact of this abuse on players, individuals, and the sport itself, they will offer support and practical advice on how to join them in taking a stand against acts considered criminal in many nations.

The members will also work to promote the recently approved FIFA Council measures to strengthen the fight against racism within their respective regions.

"Football is a source of unity and development that strengthens humanity," explained George Weah, the panel's honorary captain. "I will always strive to promote this sport, as I have in the past and continue to do, because football is life. I am honored to hold this role."

At the 74th FIFA Congress, the governing body and its member associations committed to supporting the global anti-racism movement, a unified initiative based on five pillars:

Pillar 1: Rules and Sanctions
Pillar 2: On-Field Action
Pillar 3: Criminal Prosecution
Pillar 4: Education Pillar
5: The Players' Voice

Since then, FIFA has taken significant steps, as evidenced by recent amendments to its Disciplinary Code under the first pillar, including increased fines and greater accountability. The maximum fine has been substantially raised to CHF 5,000,000, while players and officials can now contribute to identifying perpetrators of racist acts.

The three-step anti-discrimination procedure has been integrated into Article 15, which also includes specific measures like the anti-racism gesture (Pillar 2). To harmonize disciplinary measures, member associations must now align their own regulations with the general principles of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

In parallel, FIFA's Social Media Moderation Service continues to streamline the exchange of evidence following FIFA competitions to facilitate national-level prosecutions, as part of the third pillar.

Over 100 evidence files have been made available to date. Since its launch at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, the service has analyzed more than 33 million posts and comments across over 15,000 social media accounts.

As part of its "No Racism" and "No Discrimination" campaigns, FIFA also distributes educational materials to players, coaches, officials, and spectators. An online educational tool for member associations is scheduled for release later this year.

Activities under the fourth pillar also extend to children and youth through the FIFA Football for Schools program, which distributes "No Discrimination" campaign materials. The Players' Voice panel plays a central role in promoting the global anti-racism movement and will be particularly active in developing and implementing educational initiatives.