‘Other than occasional fights’: Argentina’s first Haiti-born U-17 player Kiki Ramos speaks out on racism claims | Football News

Kiki Ramos (Photo by Instagram@kikiramoss_)

Kiki Ramos, the Haiti-born winger who recently became the first player born in the Caribbean country to represent Argentina, has pushed back against criticism surrounding racism and discrimination in Argentina, saying he has never personally experienced it since arriving in the country as a baby.The 17-year-old made his Argentina U-17 debut this week in a 2-1 victory over Ecuador, marking a significant moment for a player whose journey to the Albiceleste began after the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010.Ramos was born in Haiti on April 3, 2009, and arrived in Argentina at nine months old after being adopted by an Argentine couple. He has since developed through Vélez Sarsfield and is now attracting attention from clubs in Europe.Ramos responds to criticism surrounding ArgentinaAmid criticism of Argentina and allegations of racism circulating on social media, Ramos gave his own account of his experience in the country. Speaking as quoted by Albiceleste Talk, he said:“Did I feel any racism or discrimination in Argentina? Ever since I came to Argentina, I’ve never felt discriminated against.”“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. That’s why I feel like people who say Argentina is racist are just saying it for the sake of it.”Ramos added:“I think we’re just going through a period where Argentina is being heavily criticised, you know? But Argentina is a beautiful country. For me, it’s a dream to represent Argentina and a huge honour to wear this beautiful shirt. I’ve dreamed of it since I was a little kid, and I hope I can live up to it every time I’m called up.”Ramos’ remarkable journey to the Argentina shirtRamos, who goes by “Kiki”, survived the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that devastated Haiti in January 2010. The disaster caused more than 100,000 deaths, with an official figure of 316,000 later provided by Haiti’s government, according to the material surrounding his story.After arriving in Argentina as a nine-month-old, Ramos was adopted by an Argentine family and eventually began his football development at Vélez Sarsfield. His emergence with the club has now taken him into Argentina’s youth setup, where his debut came in the 2-1 win over Ecuador.His appearance has also attracted attention because of the historical context around players born outside Argentina representing the national team. According to the reports, Ramos could become the first player without Argentine roots to play an official match for the senior Argentina side since Paraguayan-born Heriberto Correa represented the Albiceleste after becoming an Argentine citizen in 1973.There is an unusual link between the two players beyond their birthplace circumstances: both arrived at Argentina’s national-team setup while representing Vélez Sarsfield, although more than five decades separate their stories.Ramos’ next major opportunity could come with Argentina’s U-17 side at the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup, which will be held in Qatar from November 19 to December 13.For now, though, his focus is on building his career with Vélez and continuing to earn opportunities in Argentina’s youth teams, while his comments offer a personal account that contrasts with the broader criticism surrounding the country and its football culture.