
FIFA has opened an investigation after allegations of racist abuse involving American social media influencer IShowSpeed and a fan during Argentina's 3-2 win over Cape Verde on Friday.
IShowSpeed – who has 57 million subscribers on YouTube and 53 million followers on TikTok – has been live-streaming matches during the tournament, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and former Barcelona and Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic appearing in some of his videos.
World football's governing body announced that it had been made aware of an incident that allegedly occurred at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on July 3, where the round of 16 match was being held, and had "immediately launched an investigation."
The 21-year-old, whose real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr, is seen in footage posted on his YouTube channel wearing a Cape Verde jersey, clashing with an Argentine fan on the stadium steps.
“The FIFA World Cup is a celebration of unity, diversity and respect,” FIFA said in an official statement. “It brings together people, cultures and communities from around the world, and anyone who acts in a way that undermines these values is not welcome in our game.”
The alleged abuse of IShowSpeed comes just days after France forward Kylian Mbappe called a Paraguayan senator “disgusting” and unworthy of her position after she made a series of racist comments mocking his origins and education. Celeste Amarilla, from Paraguay’s Radical Liberal Party, posted her comments on the X platform (formerly Twitter) after her country’s loss to France in the round of 16 of the World Cup.
The French Football Federation (FFF) has announced plans to file criminal charges, describing Amarilla's comments as "deeply disgusting and unacceptable."