September 05, (THEWILL) — FIFA announced a new 16-member Players’ Voice Panel on Friday, to combat racism in football, with former Ballon d’Or winner, George Weah, taking the lead role. The panel includes football legends such as Didier Drogba from Ivory Coast and Brazilian Olympic veteran, Formiga, representing players from 14 different countries across men’s and women’s football.
The diverse group will provide guidance on anti-racism strategies, take part in educational programmes, and help drive reforms throughout the sport. FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, emphasised that the panel members will support education at every level of football while promoting innovative approaches for lasting transformation in the game’s culture.
Infantino stressed that racism and discrimination constitute crimes rather than mere wrongdoing, demanding full punishment for all incidents whether they occur in stadiums or online. The announcement followed recent racial abuse directed at Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo during the English Premier League’s opening day at Liverpool, with Infantino confirming the panel would reach out to the Ghana international.
George Weah, the only African player to claim the Ballon d’Or and former Liberian president, expressed his commitment to promoting football’s unifying power. The legendary striker stated his honour in serving this role and pledged continued efforts to advance the sport, describing football as life itself.
FIFA updated its disciplinary code at last year’s Congress, increasing maximum fines for racist abuse against players, officials, or staff to 5,000,000 Swiss francs. The governing body also implemented a three-step anti-discrimination procedure allowing referees to request public announcements, suspend matches, or abandon games entirely when discriminatory behaviour occurs.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
