The Mayor of Madrid criticised Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior on Wednesday after the Brazilian stated that Spain should not host the 2030 World Cup if the country has not addressed racism in football by then.

In an interview with CNN, Vinicius remarked that "if there is no progress (on racism) before 2030, they should change the host nation" for the World Cup.

Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida expressed concern that Vinicius' comments could harm Spain's prospects as a host for the tournament and depicted the country as a racist nation.

"We acknowledge that there are racist incidents in society and that we must work diligently to eradicate them," Martínez-Almeida said. "However, it is unfair to characterise Spain and Madrid as racist societies."

Vinicius, who is Black, told CNN that he loves living in Madrid and asserted, "The majority of people in Spain are not racist, but there is a small group that ultimately tarnishes the country's image."

Vinicius has been subjected to numerous racist insults since joining Real Madrid in 2018. Last year, he received widespread support from Spanish society after being racially abused during a Spanish league match in Valencia, leading to several calls for stronger measures in the fight against racism in the country.