Starting in two days' time with the quarter-finals in the Netherlands and continuing the day after with the semi-finals in Germany, FIFA will hold this year's worldwide Anti-Discrimination Day in connection with the concluding phases of the FIFA World Youth Championship and the FIFA Confederations Cup.

The top teams of both tournaments will help FIFA deliver a clear message against racism and discrimination. At the mentioned matches and before kick-off, both team captains will read a declaration condemning and rejecting discrimination in football and society and firmly saying "no to racism". Both teams and the match officials will also pose jointly with a banner displaying the unequivocal "Say No to Racism" message as part of the official pre-match protocol.

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter said: "Football has a unique power that can and must be used to promote human development and peace and to expel discrimination from society. We are delighted to present our competitions not only as a sporting spectacle but also as a channel to raise awareness on the pressing social issues of our days. This is part of our social responsibility."

The captain of the newly created group of FIFA Ambassadors against Racism, Thierry Henry also expressed his support for the initiative: "If all parties involved in football join in condemning and acting against discrimination, there is hope for eradicating it from our sport. I commend the active participation of the teams in the Netherlands and Germany which shows the players' rejection of racism and their willingness to fight it". Senes Erzik, Chairman of the FIFA Committee for Ethics and Fair Play, stressed: "We deplore racism and discrimination and reject it in our Statutes and Code of Ethics, as this blight should have no place in our game. The voice of the players and the platform of the FIFA competitions help us amplify this condemnation".

The pre-match activities of the 4th FIFA Anti-Discrimination Day will be held in Utrecht, Tilburg, Kerkrade and Enschede (FIFA World Youth Championship) as well as in Nuremberg and Hanover (FIFA Confederations Cup).

In 2001, the FIFA Congress in Buenos Aires passed a resolution against discrimination, which is now more pertinent than ever. Furthermore, in response to the most recent outbreaks of racism, the FIFA Executive Committee, at its meeting on 7-8 March 2005, ratified the FIFA President's proposed creation of a group of FIFA anti-racism ambassadors, headed by Thierry Henry and bringing together some of the leading players and coaches both past and present.