Former Chelsea striker Carlton Cole has spoken out about the offensive chant that Argentina players sang about the French national team after their victory at the 2024 America's Cup.
Because of this incident, the Argentine national team was accused of racism. On July 16, the president of the French Football Federation (FFF) Philippe Diallo said that the organization plans to appeal to FIFA and file a complaint with the court because of racially offensive and discriminatory remarks.
Cole said that Messi should speak out on the matter as he is the captain and the main man in the team. Cole added that if Messi does not make a statement, it will give the impression that he does not care how others feel, including black footballers he has previously played with.
Daily Mail quotes Cole as saying:
Otherwise, it's just like he doesn't care. He doesn't care how I feel, he doesn't care how some of his black teammates he's had in the past feel. That just shows me that he's selfish. He needs to come out and say something. I condemn him. Simple. I condemn Messi.
Earlier, Enzo Fernandez's father recalled how Messi was mocked in France for his height.