Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has come under fire after saying France’s national soccer team has “no French players” ahead of Tuesday’s World Cup semi-final between the two countries.The remark, made in an opinion piece for the Spanish news site El Debate, drew widespread criticism from political leaders in Spain and France, who described it as xenophobic and racist. The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, condemned the statement, writing on X: “There are those who still measure belonging by surname, place of birth or skin color. Others measure by our roots in a country and our desire to contribute to it.” He added: “Spain belongs to those who love and work for it. Not to those who shame it with xenophobic statements.”
French leaders united in remarks of condemnation
Criticism quickly spread throughout France. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described Rajoy’s comments as “absolutely unacceptable”, while Anti-Discrimination Minister Aurore Berge denounced the “repeated racist outbursts” and said: “It is time for them to stop and for sport to become sport again: a place where you are judged on your talent and no other criteria.”Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel compared Rajoy’s remarks to previous racist comments made by a Paraguayan senator about Kylian Mbappe, saying: “They cannot stop themselves from spewing this disgusting racism.”The French leaders stressed that the national team represents the diversity of the country. Overseas Territories Minister Naima Moutchou said: “Every time the Bleus win, the same racist obsessions and insults resurface.” Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure added that “France has no skin color or religion.”The French embassy in Madrid also responded, saying: “All the players in the France team are French. Out of 26 players, 23 were born in France. The three who were born abroad are also French.”The president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, also criticized Rajoy’s statement, describing it as an “intolerable probe of racism”.Controversy has clouded the run-up to the much-anticipated World Cup semi-final, with political leaders from both sides insisting the players should be judged on their talent rather than their history.