PARIS – Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr will keep speaking out against racism in football, after receiving the Socrates Award on Monday at the Ballon d'Or ceremony for his contributions off the field.
Vinicius, who has been racially abused regularly in La Liga games for the last two seasons, was recognised for starting a foundation that is building schools in impoverished areas and investing in education in Brazil.
“I will remain strong in the fight against racism. It is a very sad thing to talk about racism nowadays, but we have to continue in the fight so that people suffer less,” said the Brazilian, who received the award from the Prince of Monaco.
“Very happy to receive this award and to help many children in Brazil. I had little chance of getting where I have coming from where I came. So it is a pleasure for me to help as many kids as I can, so they can have a chance.”
The 23-year-old, who extended his Real contract till 2027 on Tuesday, was the only Brazilian in the top 10 of the 2023 Ballon d’Or rankings after scoring 23 goals in all competitions for last season.
The forward was also part of an emotional tribute to Pele, the Brazil great who died last December at the age of 82. He said: “Pele is a god for me and if I am here today, it is thanks to him. He put Brazil on a different level and people respect Brazilian players thanks to the great legacy he left.”
The Vini Jr Institute, created in 2020, aims to use the popularity of football to help innovations in teaching and learning in Brazilian public schools. The project claims up to 15 schools and 10,000 students will benefit by the end of 2023, with more than 500 teachers employed.
Meanwhile, his Real teammate Jude Bellingham said he was targeting Euro 2024 glory with England after winning the Kopa Trophy for the Best Player of last season aged under 21 at the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed a sensational start to his Real career, with a brace in last Saturday’s 2-1 Clasico win over Barcelona taking him to 13 goals in his first 13 games for the Spanish giants.
But the Kopa Trophy rewards his performances last season. In his final campaign with Borussia Dortmund, Bellingham scored 14 times in 42 games as they came second in the Bundesliga. He also helped England reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
He succeeds Barcelona and Spain midfielder Gavi as the winner of the trophy named after former Real and France star Raymond Kopa.
Of England’s prospects at the upcoming Euro 2024 in Germany, he said: “I am definitely confident, we are one of the favourites going into the tournament now and it is important that we quit the talking and finally perform in front of our fans.” REUTERS, AFP
