FIFA is facing mounting criticism after two of football’s biggest stars were reportedly discouraged from speaking Spanish during official media sessions at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States a development many are calling tone-deaf at a tournament hosted in one of the world’s most Spanish-speaking regions.
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The controversy first emerged ahead of Morocco’s Group C fixture against Brazil, when a Spanish-speaking journalist attempted to address Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi in Spanish. Despite Hakimi who grew up in Madrid and is entirely fluent in the language indicating he was comfortable responding in Spanish, event officials insisted questions be directed in English, citing the absence of a Spanish interpreter. A compromise was eventually brokered, with the reporter posing the question in Spanish while Hakimi answered in English.
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The situation escalated during Brazil’s subsequent media session when Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior was similarly interrupted mid-response for speaking Spanish. More at ease in Portuguese or Spanish than English, Vinicius chose to switch to Portuguese rather than comply, before redirecting his focus to Brazil’s tournament preparations.
The incidents ignited fierce debate among journalists, fans, and commentators, many of whom questioned how a tournament hosted largely in the United States a country with tens of millions of Spanish speakers could effectively restrict the language from its press conferences.
According to Spanish outlet El País, FIFA’s policy limits Spanish-language translation services to press conferences involving traditionally Spanish-speaking nations such as Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, and Paraguay. All other teams are expected to conduct media engagements in English or their own national language.
The backlash was especially sharp in Vinicius’ case, with many observers noting the Brazilian star’s visible discomfort at being directed to communicate in English. Critics argued that discouraging multilingual expression at a global event of the World Cup’s stature runs counter to the spirit of international football.
The language row threatened to overshadow what had been a highly anticipated group stage encounter between Brazil and Morocco, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
With the issue now attracting international attention, pressure is mounting on FIFA to revisit its media language guidelines before the tournament advances further.
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