Argentina's First Black Player in 44 Years Breaks Silence on Racism Claims
- Stephen "Kiki" Ramos became only the fourth Black player to represent Argentina after debuting for the Under-17s
- The Haiti-born teenager said he has never experienced racism or discrimination since moving to Argentina
- Ramos could become Argentina's first Black senior international in more than 40 years
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Stephen "Kiki" Ramos has addressed claims that Argentina is a racist country after becoming the nation's first Black international player in 44 years.
The 17-year-old winger made history this week by debuting for Argentina's Under-17 team in a 2-1 victory over Ecuador, becoming just the fourth Black player ever to represent La Albiceleste.
Source: Twitter
Born in Haiti, Ramos was adopted by an Argentine family after the devastating 2010 earthquake that claimed more than 300,000 lives.
He now plays for Argentine side Vélez Sarsfield and is regarded as one of the country's brightest young talents.
Stephen Ramos gives honest view on life in Argentina
Ramos was asked about racism following a series of recent controversies involving Argentina, including incidents during the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the racial abuse directed at streamer IShowSpeed during a live broadcast.
Responding to questions about his own experience, the teenager insisted he has never felt discriminated against since arriving in Argentina.
"Did I feel any racism or discrimination in Argentina? Ever since I came to Argentina, I've never felt discriminated against."
He acknowledged there had been occasional disagreements between youth players during matches but stressed they were limited to football.
"Other than the occasional fights between youth players during matches, everything has always been fine off the pitch. I never felt discriminated against, and I never felt different from anyone else."
Ramos added that he believes some of the criticism aimed at Argentina is unfair.
"That's why I feel like people who say Argentina is racist are just saying it for the sake of it. I think we're just going through a period where Argentina is being heavily criticised. But Argentina is a beautiful country."
Argentina's black playersa
Ramos is the first player born in Haiti to represent Argentina at any level.
He follows Héctor Baley, José Ramos Delgado and Alejandro de los Santos as only the fourth Black player to wear Argentina's colours.
If he progresses to the senior national team, Ramos would become Argentina's first Black senior international in more than four decades.
Born in 2009, Ramos is the first-ever player born in Haiti to represent Argentina. If he makes his way into the first-team in future, he would be the first black player to don the famous blue and white stripes in more than four decades.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
