Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana and Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri were subjected to racial abuse on social media following their teams’ 1-1 Premier League draw at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Fofana, who was sent off in the 72nd minute, shared screenshots of the abusive messages he received on Instagram, expressing his frustration and disappointment. “2026, it’s still the same thing, nothing changes,” he wrote.
Chelsea condemned the abuse in a statement on their official website, emphasizing that there is no room for racism in the game. “We stand unequivocally with Wes. He has our full support, as do all our players, who are too often forced to endure this hatred simply for doing their job,” the statement read.
Club statement: Wesley Fofana.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 21, 2026
Mejbri also shared abusive messages he received, calling for education and awareness. “Educate yourself and your kids,” he wrote in an Instagram story.
Burnley backed Mejbri, stating that there is no space for racism at the club. “We condemn it unreservedly and will work to ensure that the individual responsible is identified and investigated,” they said.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation, with both clubs working with authorities to identify and punish the perpetrators. The Premier League and social media platforms are also involved in addressing the issue.
The match itself ended in a 1-1 draw, with Chelsea moving into fourth place on goal difference ahead of Manchester United.
Racism in Football in 2026?
Racism has begun to raise its ugly head in football once again.
Fofana and Hannibal’s incident follows the recent accusations against Benfica’s Prestianni who allegedly issued some racist remarks against Vinicius Jr. in the UCL playoff game between Real Madrid and Benfica.
While the football world has reacted angrily to the incident with FIFA also warning Benfica of the consequences of Prestianni’s actions if found guilty, La Liga club Osasuna has added more more to the fire.
In Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat to Osasuna, Osasuna fans were making death chants at Vinicius just before the game started. La Liga has opened up an investigation on the incident but then, it goes to show that a lot of work still needs to be done to cleanse the sport of vices like this.
Update: La Liga said after the game this it was also investigating footage that appeared to show Osasuna fans chanting “Vinicius, muerete”, which translates as “Vinicius, die”, during the game. The Athletic has contacted Osasuna for comment. https://t.co/5gFJ7OxW7N
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) February 21, 2026
Racism shouldn’t exist in football and just as it has been echoed in the past week, racists should be exiled from the sport.
