Rajoy Accused of Racism Over France World Cup Column
Former Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy is facing widespread accusations of racism after a newspaper column in which he claimed the French national football team contains no French players.
Writing in the online outlet El Debate ahead of Spain’s World Cup semi-final against France, Rajoy acknowledged France’s formidable credentials — noting their unbeaten run in the tournament, their status as the world’s top-ranked side, and their two previous World Cup titles — before adding, according to The Guardian: “they don’t have any French players. And they’re playing very well.”
The remark provoked an immediate backlash on both sides of the Pyrenees. Spain’s current prime minister Pedro Sánchez took to X to distance himself firmly from his predecessor’s comments. “There are those who still measure belonging by surname, place of birth, or skin colour,” Sánchez wrote, before adding that xenophobic statements shame Spain and signing off with a message wishing France well in the semi-final.
In France, the reaction was equally sharp. Interior minister Laurent Nuñez described the remarks as “completely unacceptable” in comments to broadcaster BFMTV, insisting France is “a country of diversity where everyone can thrive”. Socialist party leader Olivier Faure pointed out that every member of the French squad holds French citizenship, while French Communist party leader Fabien Roussel drew a direct comparison between Rajoy’s column and a recent racist social media post targeting Kylian Mbappé from a Paraguayan senator.
France’s minister for overseas territories, Naïma Moutchou, went further, arguing the remarks were not an isolated slip but part of “a methodical and normalised hatred of France”. She called on the French football federation — which has already lodged a complaint with Paris prosecutors over the Mbappé incident — to pursue all available legal options.
Rajoy, who served as Spain’s prime minister from 2011 to 2018, has not publicly walked back the comments at the time of reporting.
The row adds an uncomfortable backdrop to what is shaping up to be one of the standout fixtures of the tournament. You can follow the build-up and all the latest from the World Cup 2026 hub, including live standings and results, as the semi-finals approach.
What it means for UK punters: The controversy is unlikely to affect the football itself, but it has kept France and their squad firmly in the headlines — which may well sharpen motivation heading into a blockbuster last-four tie.