Barcelona and Brazil star Dani Alves drew worldwide acclaim on Sunday after casually eating a banana that a fan threw onto the pitch at him as a racist taunt during a soccer match.
Now some of the game's biggest stars have taken to social media to throw their support behind Alves -- both from his own national team and World Cup rivals.
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Banana-throwing is an all-too-common taunt used against dark-skinned players in European soccer. This particular banana was thrown at Alves during Barcelona's away match against Spanish side Villareal. Players have lost their temper, and some have refused to play after similar taunts in the past.
But Alves' cheeky response -- taking a bite from the banana, then continuing to help Barcelona to victory and tweeting a nutrition tip after the game -- was lauded by fans and media. (You can see for yourself in the video above.)
After the match, Brazil and Barcelona superstar Neymar Jr. threw his support behind Alves by uploading this lighthhearted photo to Instagram along with the hashtags #somostodosmacacos and #weareallmonkeys.
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero -- who also plays for Argentina -- registered his support online as well. He posted this photo showing himself eating a banana alongside Brazilian women's soccer star Marta.
With my colleague Marta from Brazil we say #NoToRacism. We are all equal. pic.twitter.com/0kWLsaAgwP— Sergio Aguero (@aguerosergiokun) April 28, 2014
Meanwhile, Belgian star Dries Mertens did much the same.
Great reaction by Dani Alves. Respect! #weareallmonkeys #SayNoToRacism pic.twitter.com/F10iDwVBNY— Dries Mertens (@dries_mertens14) April 28, 2014
Many other fans and celebrities have posted their own photos online with the #weareallmonkeys hashtag as well. The hashtag has been used 23,000 on Twitter since Sunday, according to data analytics firm Topsy. Even supermodel Adriana Lima got in on the act:
Today's look is banana-inspired…shoutout to my beautiful Brazilian brothers @DaniAlvesD2 & @neymarjr #weareallmonkeys pic.twitter.com/eyNSDJTT5y— Adriana Lima (@AdrianaLima) April 28, 2014
As did cyclist Iljo Keisse:
Banana anyone? #weareallmonkeys pic.twitter.com/bORPSnlCLx— Iljo Keisse (@IljoKeisse) April 28, 2014
This one is from an artistically talented soccer fan:
The man from Del Monte says YES @DaniAlvesD2 #noracism #weareallmonkeys @ChiamarsiBomber pic.twitter.com/dfm7Zm3ZXg— I disegni di Wini (@DanieleLauro) April 28, 2014
Between this and Donald Sterling, this weekend was an ugly one for racism in sports. But it is nice to see players from around the globe take public stands against such deplorable behavior just weeks ahead of the World Cup.