Didier Drogba joins FIFA’s new anti-racism players’ panel, teaming with Mercy Akide and other football legends to combat discrimination

Didier Drogba has been named among 16 international football legends selected by FIFA to serve on its newly created players’ voice panel aimed at tackling racism and discrimination in football.

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FIFA confirmed the appointments on Friday through its official social media channels. Nigeria’s Mercy Akide, a veteran of three Women’s World Cups and former Super Falcons striker, also made the list, alongside global icons from 14 member associations across all six FIFA confederations.

The panel, which will raise awareness of enhanced measures against racism and discrimination, includes former African stars George Weah of Liberia, Emmanuel Adebayor of Togo, and Khalilou Fadiga of Senegal.

Other members are Iván Córdoba (Colombia), Formiga (Brazil), Jessica Houara (France), Maia Jackman (New Zealand), Sun Jihai (China PR), Blaise Matuidi (France), Aya Miyama (Japan), Lotta Schelin (Sweden), Briana Scurry (USA), Mikaël Silvestre (France), and Juan Pablo Sorín (Argentina).

FIFA president Gianni Infantino praised the new initiative, stressing that the lived experiences of these stars will bring strength to the fight.

“These 16 panel members will support education at all levels of the game and promote new ideas for lasting change,” Infantino said.

“Let’s be clear on this: racism and discrimination are not simply wrong – they are crimes. All incidents must be punished fully by football and society.”

The players’ voice panel was established under pillar five of FIFA’s global stand against racism, adopted unanimously at the 74th FIFA Congress.

Its role will be to provide advice on response strategies, raise awareness in local communities, and highlight the impact of abuse on both players and the game.

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Racism remains a persistent issue in football, with recent cases reported in some of the world’s top leagues. FIFA says this new panel is a step toward turning awareness into concrete action.