Rajoy's French Team Comments Draw Racism Condemnation
Rajoy's article claiming France's football team lacks French players was condemned as racist by French and Spanish officials.
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Rajoy Racist Remarks France Football
Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy published a racist opinion piece claiming the French national football team has no French players, sparking condemnation from French and Spanish officials ahead of France's World Cup semi-final against Spain.
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2026-08-16 to 2026-11-13 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 12 Jul, 18:17 UTC
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What happened
Spain and France advance to World Cup semi-finals; England faces Argentina
Following World Cup quarter-final matches, France and Spain qualified for the semi-finals, with their match scheduled for July 14. England and Argentina also advanced to the semi-finals.
French officials and ministers condemn Rajoy's comments as racist
Multiple French government ministers and political party leaders criticized Rajoy's remarks as racist. Minister of Overseas Territories Naïma Moutchou called it "methodical and normalized hatred" of France, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described it as "absolutely unacceptable," and Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure emphasized that the French national team comprises only French citizens, as France is a political nation without ethnic, skin color, or religious criteria.
Former Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy publishes article claiming French national team has no French players
Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy published an opinion piece in El Debate newspaper on July 11, stating that while the French national football team has very high-level players and plays excellent football, "it does not count any French players in its ranks." The article was framed as commentary ahead of the World Cup semi-final match between France and Spain scheduled for July 14.
Paraguayan senator makes racist remarks against Kylian Mbappé
Paraguayan Senator Céleste Amarilla posted insulting and racist comments targeting Kylian Mbappé following Paraguay's loss to France in the Round of 16 on July 4. The remarks drew condemnation from the French captain, the governments of France and Paraguay, FIFA President, and the United Nations.
French Ambassador makes Argentine official persona non grata over racist remarks about Mbappé
French Ambassador to Argentina Romain Nadal declared Argentine official Hebe Casado, vice-president of Mendoza region, persona non grata at the embassy after she posted racist comments on social media following France's victory over Paraguay. Casado had called the French team "the African team" and expressed she did not support Kylian Mbappé. Nadal instructed his teams to not participate in any cooperation meetings with Mendoza province where she would be present, unless she withdrew her remarks.
Spanish government officials also condemn Rajoy's racist comments
Spanish government officials, including Transport Minister Oscar Puente from the Socialist government, criticized Rajoy's statements. Puente called Rajoy a "post-Francoist idiot" who had never been moderate. Additionally, the French Embassy in Madrid responded on social media, noting that all 26 players on the French team are French, with 23 born in France and three born abroad but also French nationals.
France defeats Paraguay in World Cup Round of 16
France won its Round of 16 match against Paraguay in the World Cup on July 4, securing a place in the quarter-finals.
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