Rajoy’s accusation that France’s team play ‘without the french’ sparks racism row
Rajoy's Accusation France Team Play Without French Sparks Row
Rajoy s accusation that France s team - Rajoy's accusation that France's team plays without the French has ignited fierce debate across Spain and France ahead of their World Cup semi-final clash. The controversial remark, which translates to "without the French," came from former prime minister Mariano Rajoy and has been interpreted by politicians on both sides as carrying racist undertones. His opinion piece appeared in El Debate under the title "Hoy llegó el desquite," meaning "Today payback arrived."
The former conservative People's Party leader used his column to examine Belgium's exit at Spain's hands while previewing the upcoming match against France. He described the French national side as a "formidable opponent" and a rival "of the very highest level." It was within this context that he made the contentious observation about a team "without Frenchmen." The implication appeared to reference the numerous players whose heritage traces back to former French colonies, including Michael Olise and Marcus Thuram, who were not born within France's borders.
Spanish Political Response
The Spanish government was among the first to react. Socialist prime minister Pedro Sánchez shared a message on X, declaring that "Spain belongs to those who love it and work for it, not to those who disgrace it with xenophobic statements." He concluded his post with the wish that "the best team win and racism be defeated."
Meanwhile, People's Party spokesperson Borja Sémper sought to minimize the uproar on Monday. He characterized the phrase as "sarcastic" and noted that, contrary to the Socialist leader's position, his party desires a Spanish victory on Tuesday "even if they play worse" than their opponents. "We, unlike Mr Sánchez, want Spain to win in any way, shape or form," Sémper emphasized.
Initially, sources near the former prime minister informed El Mundo that there was "no ill intent" behind his words, suggesting the controversy had been exaggerated. These same contacts indicated that Rajoy views the matter as a "minor issue" and prefers not to become entangled in political conflict. Subsequently, the former leader—who governed Spain from 2011 through 2018—adopted a more resolute stance, telling the publication in a statement that "I am not going to stoop to the level of certain members of the Spanish government."
French Reactions and Player Heritage
From the political left, Podemos secretary for organisation Pablo Fernández labeled the former PP leader's comments "xenophobic" and "execrable," contending that they reinforce racist discourse. "We condemn and regret these xenophobic and racist statements by Mr Mariano Rajoy, who (...) will go down in history as a vile and thoroughgoing racist on the basis of comments like this," he declared.
France's minister delegate for equality between women and men and the fight against discrimination, Aurore Bergé, responded on Sunday through social media. She stated that "these repeated racist excesses are intolerable" and argued that "it is time they stopped and for sport to become sport again: a place where people are judged on their talent and on no other grounds."
That same day, national secretary of the French Communist Party Fabien Roussel issued a post on X calling for the former leader to be "condemned." He drew parallels between Rajoy's opinion piece and racist remarks recently made in Paraguay by senator Celeste Amarilla directed at Les Bleus captain Kylian Mbappé.
The French Embassy in Spain addressed the situation by highlighting that every squad member possesses French nationality. In a message on X, the embassy clarified that 23 of the 26 players called up were born in France, with only three born overseas: Brice Samba, who hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo, alongside Olise and Thuram, who were born in the United Kingdom and Italy respectively. All remain French citizens.
Interestingly, Spain themselves feature Aymeric Laporte, who was born in the French city of Agen. Another frequent presence in La Roja squads in recent years, though ultimately omitted from Luis de la Fuente's 2026 World Cup roster, is Robin Le Normand, who was also born on French soil in the town of Pabu. Two of the Spanish national team's prominent figures, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, similarly possess African heritage. Yamal was born in Barcelona to a Moroccan father and an Equatoguinean mother, while Williams was born in Pamplona to parents from Ghana, the nation for which his brother Iñaki Williams competes. Indeed, during this summer's tournament, as many as 11 players and three coaches born in Spain represented another national team.