The football governing body FIFA announced on Wednesday that it is launching an investigation into racist chants sung by Argentine players after winning the Copa America title.
FIFA stated, “We have seen a video circulating on social media, and the matter is under investigation.”
FIFA also reiterated, “Football, including FIFA, is a space that has no room for racism and discrimination by anyone, including players, fans, and officials.”
The chants originated from a live video posted by Enzo Fernandez, a Chelsea and Argentina midfielder, on the team bus after their victory against Colombia in Miami on Sunday.
Fernandez mentioned that some players were singing a chant popularized during the 2022 World Cup final against France. The song targeted France’s star striker Kylian Mbappe and included racist and homophobic slurs. Chelsea quickly initiated an internal disciplinary process to address Fernandez’s actions.
Since then, Fernandez has apologized, and the club confirmed the launch of an “internal disciplinary process.” Chelsea Football Club condemned all forms of discrimination and welcomed Fernandez’s public apology.
Fernandez, who joined Chelsea from Benfica for a Premier League record fee of £105 million ($136.8 million) in 2023, stated in his apology, “This contains highly objectionable language, and there is no excuse for these words. They include discrimination in any form, and I want to apologize for this incident. I was caught up in the spirit of Copa America.”
The French Football Federation (FFF) filed a formal protest with FIFA about the chants on Monday. FFF president Philippe Diallo said he “utterly denounced in the strongest terms, racism and discriminatory comments targeting players in the France team.” France had defeated Argentina in the round of 16 at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.