Mariano Rajoy, the former Spanish prime minister, has ignited a political firestorm after describing France’s World Cup squad as a “very high-level squad. Of course, without Frenchmen” – a remark widely condemned as racist and xenophobic.
Rajoy, who led Spain’s government from December 2011 to May 2018, made the comment in a column for the Spanish daily El Debate. Writing after Spain’s 2-1 quarterfinal win over Belgium, he looked ahead to Tuesday’s semifinal against Didier Deschamps’ France side. After acknowledging France’s two World Cup titles and perfect record at this year’s tournament, he added the incendiary phrase, apparently alluding to the African origins of several players.
“Former Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy faces backlash after calling France's World Cup squad 'without Frenchmen' in a racist jibe.”
In fact, of the 26 players called up by Deschamps, only three were born outside France: Michael Olise (London), Marcus Thuram (Parma) and Brice Samba (Democratic Republic of the Congo). The rest were born in France.
The backlash was immediate. José Cepeda, a Spanish MEP from the ruling left-wing PSOE, called Rajoy’s comments “racist and xenophobic” and said it was “shameful” that he had spoken in such a way. In France, Aurore Bergé, the minister delegate for equality and the fight against discrimination, posted on X that “the repeated racist outbursts are intolerable. It’s time they stop and that sports return to being sports: a space where we are judged on our talent and no other criterion.”
Fabien Roussel, national secretary of the French Communist Party, called for Rajoy to be “condemned”, comparing his words to recent comments by a Paraguayan politician about Kylian Mbappé – which prompted an investigation by the Paris prosecutor’s office for “aggravated public insult”. “They just can’t help but spout vile racism in a bid to rile up our wonderful French team,” Roussel wrote.
Pierre-Alexandre Anglade, a centrist French MP who chairs the European affairs committee, described the remarks as “a grave insult against our French team and against our country.” The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) of current Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said: “It is shameful that Mariano Rajoy, who has been President of the Government of Spain, makes this type of statement.”
Rajoy’s column also took a swipe at the Spanish left, stating he does not like “either the Devils or the reds” – a reference to Belgium’s “Red Devils” team, which Spain had just defeated. The comments come a week after a similar row: Hebe Casado, deputy governor of Argentina’s Mendoza province, described France as an “African team, without any manners,” prompting the French embassy to ban her from its premises. Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla faced a similar backlash for calling Mbappé a “brute” and a “colonized Cameroonian pretending to be French” – remarks Mbappé himself condemned, calling her “a despicable woman and unworthy of your position.”
Rajoy, a member of the centre-right Popular Party, has not yet responded to the criticism. With France and Spain set to face off on Tuesday, the controversy threatens to overshadow one of the tournament’s biggest matches.