13/07/2026 16:31 - Deportes
Just days before one of the most anticipated matches of the year, former Prime Minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy (who served from 2011 to 2018), became the center of attention for statements that sparked an intense debate on racism in sports.
In an opinion column published in the Spanish media outlet El Debate, Rajoy stated that Spain would play against France on July 14, 2026, and claimed that the rival would have 'a very high-level squad. That said, without Frenchmen.' This remark plays on the diverse, multi-ethnic composition of the French national team, a frequent talking point in far-right circles.
The words were quickly repudiated by various political figures. The current Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, responded to his predecessor by emphasizing that Spain is a country for those who love and work for it, sending a hopeful message: 'May the best team win and may racism lose.'
For her part, the French Minister in charge of the Fight against Discrimination, Aurore Bergé, criticized the 'repeated racist slips', while French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez considered that, if the declaration was accurate, it was 'absolutely unacceptable'.
Given the escalating tension, the French Embassy in Madrid intervened to flatly refute Rajoy's words, reminding the public that 'all the players of the French team are French.'
This episode adds to a series of discriminatory incidents that have clouded the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. A few days ago, Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla posted discriminatory messages against French captain Kylian Mbappé after Paraguay's elimination in the Round of 16 (a 1-0 victory for France). French President Emmanuel Macron and the French Minister of Sports, Marina Ferrari, had expressed their rejection of those comments.
In the face of these clashes, various sectors are seeking to ensure that football returns to being a space for encounter and celebration. As Minister Bergé pointed out, it is time for 'sport to return to being sport: a place where we are judged by our talent and not by any other criteria.'
Source: Yahoo News
Alfredo S. Quiroga
