World Cup Announcer Rafael van der Vaart Apologizes For Comment On Japan's Appearance

A World Cup announcer from the Netherlands is apologizing for his remark on the appearance of Japan's players.

Rafael van der Vaart, a former midfielder for Tottenham and Real Madrid, is working as a World Cup broadcaster for Dutch network NOS. He was analyzing Japan's 2-2 draw against his home country when he made a disparaging "joke" about the appearance of Japan's players.

The Dutch broadcaster was analyzing a defensive mistake when he joked that all Japanese players look the same, which caused confusion for one of the players on the Netherlands.

"They do all look alike, of course, perhaps he thought that," Van der Vaart said, explaining the defensive mixup of Micky Van de Ven.

"That's a joke, of course," he added. "I'm scared to say anything at all."

Unsurprisingly, the Dutch announcer faced a lot of blowback for his comment.

Dutch announcer apologizes for his comment

The former soccer star turned broadcaster says that he never meant to harm or insult anyone.

"I understand that some people found my words hurtful. I sincerely regret that. If I have upset people because of this, I offer my apologies. That was never my intention," he said in a statement to The Athletic.

"I take the reactions that have arisen seriously and understand that words can be interpreted differently.

"Therefore, I think it is important to make it clear that there was no racist or discriminatory intent behind my statement.

"I hope this explanation provides more clarity about my intentions and the context in which the remark was made."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Kick It Out - an organization that aims to eradicate racism from soccer - is not happy.

"It's hugely disappointing to hear former players peddling racist stereotypes about Japan's team and then double down by trying to defend the comments as a joke," the spokesperson said.

"Even if he claims there was no racist intent in what he said, the comments can still have an impact on those involved, and the wider East and Southeast Asian community, as we have seen with previous examples directed towards players.

"The World Cup attracts massive global TV audiences, so it's always important that guests are careful with their language and that broadcasters take responsibility for those appearing on their shows, whether that is through additional education or training."

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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 5:38 PM.