Madrid, Spain – Spain's aspirations to host the 2030 World Cup final suffered a significant setback after racist and Islamophobic chants marred a friendly match against Egypt. The country is set to co-host the next edition of football's premier event with Morocco and Portugal, but the location of the final remains undecided by FIFA, the sport's global governing body. Instead of showcasing form ahead of this year's World Cup in the Americas, Spain's performance on the pitch was overshadowed by off-field controversies.
Spanish police have launched an investigation into "Islamophobic and xenophobic" chants that echoed twice during the 0-0 draw in Barcelona on Tuesday. Authorities issued a warning over the public address system and displayed a video sign stating that racist chants contravene the law, but these measures were jeered by sections of the crowd. A group of supporters chanted: "Whoever doesn't jump is Muslim" – a derogatory slogan. Al Jazeera's correspondent at the match reported that Egypt's national anthem also received a barrage of whistles before the supposed friendly began, marking the latest in a series of similar incidents that have plagued Spanish football in recent years, with Real Madrid's Brazilian striker Vinicius Junior being another high-profile victim of racial abuse.
Lamine Yamal, Spain's star winger and a Muslim whose father moved from Morocco to Spain, issued a damning statement on Instagram following the controversy. He posted: "I am a Muslim. Yesterday at the stadium the chant 'the one who doesn't jump is the Muslim' was heard. I know it wasn't something personal against me, but as a Muslim person it doesn't stop being disrespectful and something intolerable." Yamal, who has avoided political statements, added, "Using a religion as a mockery on the field makes you ignorant and racist people." Analysts said the anti-Muslim chants represent further evidence of structural racism in Spanish society, whose largest foreign-born population originates from Morocco, a Muslim-majority nation.
Moha Gerehou, former director of the national anti-racism body SOS Racismo and a journalist specializing in xenophobia, told Al Jazeera, "Spain is still a country which suffers from structural racism and there is little awareness of this. In contrast, other countries like the UK, France, and the Netherlands also have structural racism but there is more awareness." He noted discrimination in access to housing, education, and employment, and highlighted the rise of the far-right Vox party, the third-largest in the Spanish parliament, which allegedly uses racism to garner votes and legitimize xenophobia. A 2024 report for the Spanish Observatory of Racism and Xenophobia, a government body, found that discrimination in sport and education starts early, with 40% of children surveyed in Madrid stating their Black friends are treated differently.
In the 2024-25 season, there were 33,400 hate messages recorded, 62% on Facebook and 10% on X, indicating a shift of abuse from stadiums to online platforms. In response to the chants, Marca, Spain's best-selling sports newspaper, ran a front page in black – typically reserved for the death of an important figure – quoting Yamal's words. The incident drew widespread condemnation, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez posting on social media that "we cannot allow an uncivil minority to represent the reality of Spain, a diverse and tolerant country." However, Vox president Santiago Abascal posted on X condemning critics of the chants, claiming they are "turning it into a matter of state" and expecting Spaniards to "silently and obediently put up with the Islamist invasion and the mafia government."
The Catalan regional police force, Mossos d’Esquadra, is investigating the chants, while the Spanish Football Federation and numerous footballers have also condemned them. Vinicius Junior has been a frequent target of racist abuse since his arrival in Spain in 2018, with incidents including an effigy hung from a bridge in 2023 and a 2025 court ruling that found five fans guilty of a hate crime for insults during a 2022 match – the first such verdict in Spain. British journalist Graham Hunter, a specialist in Spanish football, noted improvements in combating racism since 2002 but acknowledged that a "racist, right-wing section of society" persists, as evidenced by Vox's support.
Source: www.aljazeera.com