Barcelona winger Raphinha has accused Disneyland Paris of racism after claiming a mascot deliberately ignored his young son while embracing white children.
The Brazilian international, who is currently on duty with the national team, shared videos on social media that appeared to show his son, Gael, being overlooked during a character meet-and-greet at the park.
In the footage, the mascot can be seen hugging several children before standing up and walking away as Gael waits nearby. Despite encouragement from family members, the boy is not given the same attention. A relative eventually carries Gael to the mascot for a brief interaction before walking away visibly upset.
“Your employees are disgraceful,” Raphinha wrote in a furious post. “You shouldn’t treat people like this, especially a child. You’re supposed to make children happy, not ignore a child. I prefer to say ‘ignore’ rather than anything else. You’re a disgrace.”
The 28-year-old went further, suggesting the incident was racially motivated. “I understand the fatigue of those who work with this, but why did all the white children get hugs and not my son? I hate you, Disneyland. He just wanted a hello and a hug,” he added.
Disneyland Paris, which attracts around 12 million visitors annually, has yet to respond to the allegations.
This is not the first time the theme park has faced accusations of racial discrimination. In 2022, a family claimed an employee dressed as Princess Rapunzel ignored their Black daughter. Last year, Disneyland launched its first attraction celebrating a Black princess, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, replacing the controversial Splash Mountain ride.
Raphinha, who joined Barcelona from Leeds United in 2022, is among the club’s four Ballon d’Or nominees this year after scoring 34 goals in all competitions to help the Catalan side secure a domestic treble. He featured in Brazil’s 3-0 World Cup qualifying win over Chile on Friday and is expected to play against South Korea before returning to Spain for Barcelona’s La Liga clash with Valencia.
