Overview
- Former Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy wrote that France’s squad is “very high level, but without French,” a comment published as the teams prepare to meet in the World Cup semifinal.
- French ministers and the French Embassy in Madrid called the remark racist and unacceptable and reaffirmed that every player on the squad holds French nationality.
- Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez publicly criticized Rajoy and urged that sport should prevail over xenophobia, and several Spanish national team players rejected the comment and defended the Frenchness of France’s players.
- Coverage linked Rajoy’s column to an earlier racist attack during the tournament by Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla against Kylian Mbappé, reinforcing broader concerns about xenophobia at the World Cup.
- The dispute has created diplomatic tensions and risks shifting attention away from the match, with observers watching for further statements from political leaders, team officials, and the tournament’s governing bodies.