Government and Players Condemn “Intolerable” Incident During World Cup Warm-Up
Spanish authorities have opened an investigation into “Islamophobic and xenophobic” chants that erupted during an international football friendly between Spain and Egypt in Barcelona. The incident, which occurred during a 0-0 draw on Tuesday, has drawn sharp condemnation from the government, the football federation, and players, with Spain’s justice minister stating the racist abuse “embarrasses us as a society.”
Chants and Jeers Overshadow Match
The match at RCDE Stadium was overshadowed from the outset, with Egypt’s national anthem being jeered by a section of the crowd. During the game, chants of “Whoever doesn’t jump is Muslim” were heard, prompting stadium officials to issue multiple appeals over the public announcement system urging fans to stop the offensive remarks. A message against discrimination was displayed on the stadium’s big screen at halftime.
Spain’s Muslim forward Lamine Yamal, who started the match, condemned the abuse on social media. “To those who sing these things: using a religion as a form of mockery on a pitch shows you up as ignorant and racist,” the Barcelona player wrote on Instagram.
Official Condemnation and Political Division
Justice Minister Felix Bolanos strongly denounced the chants. “The far right will not leave any space free from their hatred, and those who remain silent today will be complicit,” he added in a statement on X. While most major political parties joined the Spanish Football Federation in condemning the incident, the leader of the far-right Vox party, Santiago Abascal, reposted an image of fans waving Spanish flags with the caption “Proud fans, proud country.”
Spain’s coach, Luis de la Fuente, called the behavior “intolerable.” “Violent people use football to carve out a space for themselves. They must be removed from society, identified, and kept as far away as possible,” he said after the match.
A Persistent Problem in Spanish Football
This is the latest in a series of racist incidents plaguing Spanish football. Real Madrid’s Brazilian star Vinicius Junior has been repeatedly targeted. In a landmark 2025 case, five fans were convicted of a hate crime for racially abusing him during a 2022 match—the first such ruling in Spain for stadium insults.
The problem persists, with Albacete fans singing a racist chant about Vinicius as recently as January 2026.
Match Context and Aftermath
The friendly, a warm-up for the upcoming World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, was relocated to Barcelona from Qatar due to the war in the Middle East. It was played in a hostile atmosphere, with some sections of the 35,000-strong crowd whistling in response to the stadium’s anti-discrimination announcements.
Catalonia’s regional police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, confirmed the investigation is ongoing. Both Spain and Egypt have qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
