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Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger, front, gestures during the Club World Cup Group H soccer match between Real Madrid and CF Pachuca in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
FIFA on Wednesday opened a disciplinary case after Real Madrid and Germany defender Antonio Rudiger recently claimed that he was racially abused by Pachuca captain Gustavo Cabral in their Club World Cup match a couple of days ago.
“Following an assessment of the match reports, the FIFA disciplinary committee has opened proceedings against Pachuca player Gustavo Cabral in relation to the incident involving him and Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger,” the FIFA said.
Rüdiger and Cabral clashed in the final minutes of Madrid’s 3-1 win Sunday in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Towards the end of the game, as the five minutes of added stoppage time approached, an altercation erupted between sets of players from both teams. After that was dismissed, referee Ramon Abatti could be seen in discussion with the defender, and then crossed his forearms in front of his chest, which signals the activation of the anti-racism protocol.
Later, Real Madrid’s newly appointed head coach, Xabi Alonso, confirmed that Rudiger told the team he had been racially abused.
“That’s what Rudiger said, and we believe him,” Alonso replied to a question on whether the German defender had been abused, according to Reuters. “It is important to have zero tolerance in these kinds of situations. FIFA now is investigating. That’s all I can say.”
Cabral responded to the allegations to the athletic, saying, “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 sign of racism. In Argentina we say ‘cagon de mierda’ (a profanity used to call someone a coward), all the time I told him the same thing.”
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A verdict is likely before Pachuca plays Thursday in its final Group H game, against Al Hilal in Nashville. It will be Pachuca’s last game at the Club World Cup because the Mexican team cannot finish higher than third in the standings and will not advance to the round of 16.
(With AP inputs)
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