Anti Racist Sticker Album Brings Together 62 Players Targeted during World Cup Games

Although we live in a society where 56% of the population is Black, the number of incidents of discrimination due to skin colour continues to grow. Last year, authorities saw over 50 reports, and in soccer alone there was a 106% surge in racism cases (64 in 2021, compared to 31 in 2020). This year, the annual report published by the Observatory on Combating Discrimination indicates that, from January to August, we had already reached 64 incidents of racism in soccer in Brazil. 

Unfortunately, these incidents still happen both on and off the field because we still live in a racist, homophobic, and violent society where the so-called minority still suffers from discriminatory police stops, humiliation, and even senseless accusations.

So, what better idea than to capitalise on World Cup sticker album fever and the fact that soccer brings together fans from around the world to help fight something so entrenched in our daily lives both on and off the field? This is exactly what Zumbi dos Palmares University intends, by publishing a sticker album that tells the story and legacy of 62 players who have been targets of racism on the soccer field.

The anti-racist sticker album will have the same layout as the original World Cup album, but showcasing players who have suffered racism. Its entire design direction will be interventionist in tone, describing these players' achievements and accomplishments, to make sure that racism cannot erase their trajectories. The last page of the album will have a QR code leading to a site with a petition to pressure FIFA to disqualify countries where racism takes place from taking part in the next World Cup.

The album will be sent to current and former players, sports journalists, soccer influencers, and activists involved with the fight against racism. Additionally, gamers will play a soccer match using 22 of the album's 62 players, which will be live-streamed. The album's digital edition can be downloaded here. 

For Prof. José Vicente, PhD, the Provost and general and academic director of Zumbi dos Palmares University, this album is about more than just talking about racism cases that are already being talked about in the media; it's a way of celebrating the accomplishments of players who have made, and who continue to make, history in the world of soccer.