Schweinsteiger defends commentary amid racism row: 'I was talking about football, not people'

Bastian Schweinsteiger, the former Germany international, has moved to defend himself after his commentary during the 2026 North America World Cup sparked accusations of racism.

Schweinsteiger, who serves as a commentator for German public broadcaster ARD, issued a statement through ARD on Sunday, saying, "I was not talking about people — I was talking about football."

"It was purely a footballing analysis, nothing more and nothing less," he said. "There was absolutely no intention to hurt anyone."

The controversy erupted after Schweinsteiger described Ivory Coast's style of play as "a little African football," adding that it was "somewhat atypical, rough and at times not tactical." The remarks drew immediate criticism, with many accusing him of a racist attitude that dismissed African football and its players.

Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Fae also weighed in, saying the comments "could be called racist" and adding that he hoped they were "merely careless and clumsy."

ARD rallied behind Schweinsteiger. The broadcaster's sports coordinator said his remarks were "a summary of his experience and observations about Ivory Coast's style of play," describing them as "a footballing assessment, not a comment about people."

German linguists cautioned about the dangers of such language. Kersten Sven Roth, a professor at the University of Magdeburg, told the German football magazine Kicker that while the remarks could not immediately be classified as racist outright, they were "closer to a stereotype that can cause misunderstanding."

Schweinsteiger is regarded as one of Germany's all-time greats, having earned 121 caps and scored 24 goals for the national team. He was also a member of the squad that won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.