Former Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy is facing growing accusations of racism after writing in a World Cup newspaper column that the French national team “does not have any French players”.
Rajoy's Column Sparks Controversy
Rajoy, who served as conservative prime minister from 2011 to 2018, made the remarks in a column for the online newspaper El Debate on Friday, ahead of Spain's semi-final showdown with France. He wrote: “It’s worth remembering that France has been a two-time world champion and was a finalist in the last World Cup. They’ve won every match they’ve played in this World Cup and are currently ranked No 1 in the Fifa rankings. They also have a top-level squad. That said, they don’t have any French players. And they’re playing very well. They’ll be a formidable opponent.”
Political Leaders Condemn Remarks
Rajoy's comments drew comparisons to a recent racist social media attack on Kylian Mbappé by a Paraguayan senator. Spain's current prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, responded sharply on X: “There are those who still measure belonging by surname, place of birth, or skin colour. Others measure it by our roots in a country and our will to contribute to it. Playing soccer. Caring for our elders. Or opening businesses. Spain belongs to those who love it and work for it. Not to those who shame it with xenophobic statements.”
In France, the response was equally fierce. Interior minister Laurent Nuñez told BFMTV: “That’s completely unacceptable. That’s completely not what France is about. France is a country of diversity where everyone can thrive and find their place.” Olivier Faure, leader of the French Socialist party, emphasised that the French national team is composed only of French citizens. “France is not an ethnic nation; it has no skin colour or religion. It is a political nation united around the republican motto – much to the chagrin of the racist right,” he posted on X.
Further Condemnation and Calls for Action
Fabien Roussel, leader of the French Communist party, condemned Rajoy and linked his words to the racist tirade from Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla, who called Mbappé a “colonised Cameroonian, desperately trying to pass himself off as French”. Roussel said: “They cannot help but spew filthy racism in an attempt to annoy our beautiful French team.” Naïma Moutchou, France’s minister for overseas territories, noted a familiar pattern: “The same racist obsessions and insults resurface every time [France] wins. These aren’t just ‘slips of the tongue’. It’s a methodical and normalised hatred of France and what it represents.” Moutchou called on the French football federation, which has already filed a complaint with Paris prosecutors over Amarilla’s remarks, to “pursue all legal avenues”.
Sánchez Wishes France Well
Sánchez ended his post on X with a cordial wish: “France, we’ll see you in the semi-finals. May the best team win and may racism lose.”
