Racist incident alleged after Real Madrid’s Club World Cup win over Pachuca

Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger reported a possible racist incident following his team’s 3-1 victory over Mexican side Pachuca in the Club World Cup on Sunday.

The German centre-back appeared visibly upset after the final whistle, engaging in a heated exchange with Pachuca’s Gustavo Cabral and subsequently speaking to referee Ramon Abatti Abel.

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso confirmed after the match that Rudiger had reported a racist remark.

“Toni told us something, we support Toni and we will see what happens,” Alonso said. “If it has happened, all measures should be taken. In football there is no tolerance for this, and we believe him.”

FIFA’s anti-racism protocol was reportedly activated, and the governing body is now investigating the incident.

Cabral, 39, denied the allegation, claiming his words were misunderstood. He said he called Rudiger a “coward” using a Spanish term that could have been misinterpreted as a racial slur.

“The referee made the racism sign but I was telling him the same thing the whole time — (coward),” Cabral explained.

Pachuca coach Jaime Lozano said he was unaware of the incident until hearing about it in the post-match press conference.

“I just found out from you… I haven’t spoken to Cabral about this. It cannot be justified at all, but I will talk to him,” Lozano said.

FIFA has not yet issued an official comment on the matter.