While broadcasting in-stadium for each of Argentina’s past two games in the FIFA World Cup, streamer iShowSpeed has faced racist taunts from the South American country’s fans.
Now, FIFA has reportedly opened an investigation into the fans’ behavior.
The most recent incident came Tuesday when, after Lionel Messi helped lead a thrilling comeback victory over Egypt, an Argentina fan seated above Speed’s staging area performed a monkey-like pantomime toward him while others shouted insults.
Last week while streaming at Argentina’s win over Cape Verde, a different fan told Speed, in Spanish, to “Go cry at the zoo.”
Speed, perhaps the most popular live-streamer in the world, is a Black American who came to fame in part because of his fierce love for the Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, whose rivalry with Messi fuels much of soccer’s online fan culture.
Shortly before the Argentina-Egypt game on Tuesday, FIFA announced it had opened an investigation. The incident after the latest match would seemingly be addressed as part of this investigation.
“FIFA strongly condemns racism, hate and discrimination in all forms,” the organization said in a statement. “These actions have no place in football, at the FIFA World Cup, or anywhere in society.”
“The FIFA World Cup is a celebration of unity, diversity and respect,” FIFA added. “It brings together people, cultures and communities from around the world, and anyone who acts in a manner that undermines these values is not welcome in our game.”
Racist taunts and online harassment are a constant problem for soccer across the world, especially toward Black players and figures in the sport.
Speed, who is partnering with Fox during the World Cup to simulcast games alongside his “IRL” (in-real-life) streams, has become well-known as an ambassador for soccer. He has welcomed FIFA president Gianni Infantino onto his broadcasts and partnered with several competitions and broadcasters to introduce his fanbase to the game. Though his love for soccer seemingly began with his support for Ronaldo, Speed engages with the Messi rivalry jovially and has streamed from several of Messi’s games.
Speed has not, however, publicly addressed either confrontation with Argentinian fans.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.