Drogba, Akide Join FIFA’s Anti-Racism Players’ Voice Panel FIFA has unveiled a 16-member “Players’ Voice Panel” aimed at combating racism in football, with African legends Didier Drogba and Mercy Akide among those named. Led by former Ballon d’Or winner and ex-Liberian President George Weah, the panel includes current and former football stars from 14 countries, who will advise on anti-racism strategies, support education programmes, and drive cultural reforms in global football. FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized the panel’s role in delivering real action rather than symbolic gestures, saying: “Racism and discrimination are not simply wrong — they are crimes. All incidents must be fully punished.” The initiative follows high-profile incidents of racist abuse in football, including the recent case involving Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo at Liverpool. The Players’ Voice Panel includes: George Weah (Liberia) Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) Mercy Akide (Nigeria) Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo) Formiga (Brazil) Ivan Cordoba (Colombia) Jessica Houara (France) Sun Jihai (China PR) Blaise Matuidi (France) Lotta Schelin (Sweden) Aya Miyama (Japan) Juan Pablo Sorin (Argentina) Mikael Silvestre (France) Briana Scurry (USA) Maia Jackman (New Zealand) Khalilou Fadiga (Senegal) FIFA has also toughened its disciplinary code, raising fines for racist abuse to a maximum of 5 million Swiss francs, and adopted a three-step anti-discrimination protocol during matches. #SayNoToRacism #FootballUnites #FIFAPlayersVoice