Barcelona’s Raphinha Accuses Disneyland Paris of Racism After Son Is Snubbed by Costumed Performer

FC Barcelona winger Raphinha publicly accused Disneyland Paris of racism after posting video and photos showing his young son being passed over for a hug by a costumed chipmunk performer while other children were embraced.

In an Instagram post shared Saturday, the 28-year-old Brazilian said he and his family were at Disneyland Paris when the encounter occurred and called the park’s employees “a disgrace.” "You shouldn’t treat people like that, especially a CHILD. You’re supposed to make children happy, not snub a child,” he said in the video, which also included a photo of his son waiting in line and appearing excited to meet the character. "I prefer to say it was snubbing, to say nothing else. You’re a disgrace."

Raphinha questioned whether fatigue among employees explained the incident but said it did not account for what he described as unequal treatment. "I understand the fatigue of those who work with this, but why were all white children embraced and my son wasn't?" he asked, tagging Disneyland Paris in the post. The player also wrote, "I hate you @disneylandparis," and later described the online complaint as a "red card on the play."

The images and video were posted amid growing scrutiny of how public venues handle interactions with visitors of different races. Raphinha’s post drew attention because of his profile as a first-team player for FC Barcelona and as a Brazil international.

Raphinha has not provided a detailed account beyond the social media post, and the park had not issued a public statement addressing his allegations at the time of publication. Disneyland Paris did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The club for which Raphinha plays has historically addressed off-field matters involving its players on a case-by-case basis; FC Barcelona has not publicly commented on the incident. Raphinha’s social media complaint follows other high-profile incidents in which visitors and entertainers at theme parks and public venues debated standards for guest interactions and staff conduct.

Raphinha, who joined Barcelona in 2022 after a move from the Premier League, is a regular on Brazil’s national team and has maintained an active presence on social media. The post adds a high-profile voice to conversations about race and customer service at tourist attractions in Europe, and it may prompt a response from the park if further details emerge.

As of publication, there was no immediate indication of any follow-up actions by Disneyland Paris or FC Barcelona, and there were no reports of a direct response from park staff to the family at the time of the incident.