Vinicius Jr., a winger for Real Madrid, received the Socrates Award on Monday night at the Ballon d’Or event for his work off the pitch.
He plans to continue speaking out against racism in world football as he received this award.
Vinicius, who has been the target of frequent racial slurs during games in the LaLiga over the course of the past two seasons, received recognition for founding a foundation that is constructing schools in underprivileged areas and investing in education in Brazil.
Vinicius vows to continue fight against racism as he wins Socrates Award
The Brazilian, who was given the medal by the Prince of Monaco, responded, “I will remain strong in the fight against racism,” after receiving the honour. It is extremely upsetting to discuss racism in this day and age; but, we must keep up the battle in order to alleviate as much suffering as possible for other people.
“I am overjoyed to have received this award and to be able to assist a great number of youngsters in Brazil. Coming from the background that I did, I didn’t have much of a shot at getting to where I am now; therefore, it gives me great joy to assist as many children as I can so that they, too, can have a chance.
After scoring 23 goals in all competitions for Real Madrid in the previous season, the 23-year-old was the only Brazilian to make it into the top 10 of the ranking for this year’s Ballon d’Or.
The forward was also a part of an emotional homage that was paid to Pele, a legendary player from Brazil who passed away in December of the previous year at the age of 82.
“In my religion, Pele is a god, and I owe him all the glory for my survival to this day. Vinicius said, “He elevated Brazil to a different level, and people respect Brazilian players thanks to the great legacy he left.”
