Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger reports racial abuse during FIFA Club World Cup match against Pachuca

Antonio Rudiger, Real Madrid’s defender has reported a serious allegation of racism during the team's 2025 FIFA Club World Cup game against Pachuca. The incident occurred during stoppage time and it has sparked a heated debate.

Antonio Rudiger vs Gustavo Cabral fight

The incident took place during the closing moments of the match played at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Rudiger, a key player in Real Madrid’s line-up clashed with the Pachuca's captain Gustavo Cabral after alleging he was fouled.

Rudiger informed referee Ramon Abatti Abel of a racist abuse directed at him during the argument. In response, the referee crossed his arms over his chest and signaled the activation of FIFA’s anti-racism protocol. However, Cabral denied he racially abused Rudiger.

What is FIFA's anti-racism protocol?

FIFA has a three-step process for handling racist abuse. The match is first stopped, it is then suspended if the issue persists, and ultimately abandoned if the problem cannot be resolved.

In the above scenario, the game ended shortly after the incident, with Real Madrid securing a 3-1 win. But tensions rose post-match as players continued to argue.

Xabi Alonso’s response

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso extended his support for Rudiger, addressing the issue.

“Toni has informed us about something,” Alonso stated in the post-match press conference.

“We have to wait and see now. I think the FIFA protocol has been activated to investigate. But if something did happen, measures need to be taken, and we support Antonio because this is something unacceptable. There’s no tolerance for this at any level of football, and whenever it occurs, measures must be taken. That’s what Antonio has told us, and we believe him,” he added.

Cabral’s denial

Gustavo Cabral, the accused Pachuca captain, denied any racial abuse. “It was a fight. We collided. He said that I hit him with my hand, and then there was an argument, and the referee made the racism sign, but I was telling him the same thing the whole time,” Cabral expressed his take on the incident. He admitted to using an expletive and calling Rudiger a “coward” but explained that his words weren't motivated by any racial remark.

Pachuca’s response

Pachuca head coach Jaime Lozano also addressed the allegations in the post-match press conference.

“I haven’t spoken to Cabral about this,” Lozano said.

“I cannot give you an explanation about it because this is the first time that I have heard of this news. It cannot be justified at all. I have known Cabral for a little while, and I have never heard of something like that with Pachuca players. I cannot defend my captain at any cost, but I will talk about it with him," he added.