Weah has been enlisted by FIFA to spearhead a new 16-member Players’ Voice Panel tasked with advising world football’s governing body on the fight against racism and discrimination in the game.
Zurich, Switzerland- Former Liberian President and global football legend, George Weah, has been enlisted by FIFA to spearhead a new 16-member Players’ Voice Panel tasked with advising world football’s governing body on the fight against racism and discrimination in the game.
By Jaheim T. [email protected]
Weah will serve as the honorary captain on the new Players’ Voice Panel that will advise FIFA on how to deal with racism, help with education programs, and come up with fresh ideas to end discrimination in football.
“I am honored to serve in this role,” Weah said. “I will always exert all efforts, as I have done in the past and continue to do, to promote the sport because football is life.”
Weah, who played for Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, and AC Milan during his career, remains the only African to have won the Ballon d’Or as the world’s best player, which he did in 1995. He later became Liberia’s 24th president and served six years until January 2024.
Weah will serve alongside some of the biggest names in football history, including Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), and Briana Scurry, the legendary United States goalkeeper from the 1999 Women’s World Cup-winning team.
Others on the 16-strong panel include Mercy Akide (Nigeria), Iván Córdoba (Colombia), Khalilou Fadiga (Senegal), Formiga (Brazil), Jessica Houara (France), Maia Jackman (New Zealand), Sun Jihai (China), Blaise Matuidi (France), Aya Miyama (Japan), Lotta Schelin (Sweden), Mikaël Silvestre (France), and Juan Pablo Sorín (Argentina).
FIFA said the group will “monitor and advise on anti-racism initiatives, drive education at all levels of the game, and promote new ideas for lasting change.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino explained that this panel is part of a bigger effort that started last year to step up the fight against racism in football. In May 2024, FIFA asked all 211 of its member federations to do more to punish and sanction cases of racism.
“These 16 panel members will support education at all levels of the game and promote new ideas for lasting change,” Infantino said.
He added: “Let’s be clear on this: racism and discrimination are not simply wrong – they are crimes. All incidents of racism, whether in stadiums or online, must be fully punished both by football and across society.”
The announcement came only a few days after FIFA punished six member federations, including Argentina, for racist or discriminatory abuse by fans during June’s World Cup qualifiers.
FIFA has tried something similar before. In 2013, an anti-racism task force was set up that included players like Yaya Touré and Jozy Altidore. That move came after AC Milan player Kevin-Prince Boateng walked off the field following racist abuse in Italy.
However, when Infantino became FIFA president in 2016, he shut down that task force, which many critics saw as a step backwards. The new panel is meant to restart those efforts with more structure and stronger action.
Why Weah Matters
Weah who was center of racial abuse during his playing career, leadership role is seen as very important. Not only is he Africa’s most celebrated footballer, but also as a former president who commands respect on the global stage. By naming him honorary captain, FIFA hopes he will give the fight against racism more weight and visibility.
According to FIFA, the player panel will “offer support and practical advice on how to take a stand against what, in many countries, are criminal acts.”
