There were shocking scenes this week as Spain played their last game on home soil before the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.
Ten minutes into Tuesday’s friendly against Egypt at Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, a large section of the crowd joined in with chants of “musulman el que no bote es” — “whoever does not jump is a Muslim”.
It was repeated during the first half, before a message from the Spanish football federation (RFEF) at the break over the stadium loudspeakers and on the big screens urged supporters to stop any discriminatory chanting.
Then, it happened again in the second half, albeit this time the majority of the stadium responded with whistles and booing, and it did not extend from a section of the ground.
Those chants led Spain’s best player, the 18-year-old Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, to speak out the day after the game. Yamal, whose parents are from Morocco and Equatorial Guinea, is a practising Muslim and called the singing “ignorant and racist” in a post on social media.
It also raised questions as to what this might mean for Spain’s co-hosting of the 2030 World Cup with Morocco, a majority-Muslim country, and Portugal. The RCDE Stadium is also set to be one of the host venues.
With a police investigation now underway, The Athletic explains what happened, what the next steps are and what the implications could be.
What happened?
On hearing the racist chants, the RFEF’s security department contacted the Espanyol head of security to request they intervene with supporters and end the chanting, according to RFEF sources — who, like all those cited in this article, asked to remain anonymous when speaking about a sensitive subject.
Stadium security was dispatched on two occasions to speak directly with individuals believed to be leading the chants, who were figures known to security from previous fixtures. But nobody was kicked out of the stadium, as federation sources said it was difficult to identify individual perpetrators in a large group.
RFEF sources maintain protocol was followed, insisting messages were displayed on the stadiums’ big screens and announced over the public address system calling for the chanting to stop. Messages condemning the incidents were also posted on social media.
The players kept going during the chants and the game was not stopped at any point. Yamal, who also happened to be the most cheered player by the ground, was on the pitch when the loudest chants took place. He was replaced by Osasuna’s Victor Munoz at half-time.
The first reaction from the players came after the game, when they appeared in the stadium’s mixed zone and were asked about the situation.
Spain players line up before the Egypt game (Xavi Bonilla/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
“We, as players, were shocked by the chants too,” said Barcelona midfielder Pedri. “We don’t agree to any sort of racist chant. We did not expect it. We all have to work together to stop this from happening in stadiums.”
Pedri was asked how his club and international team-mate Yamal was feeling after the game, but said he had yet to speak to him about the situation.
Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who was also targeted with insults because of his past at Espanyol, said of the anti-Muslim chants: “Any discriminatory message against anything… We are absolutely against it. I have heard the chants and the message from the FA on the speakers.”
The day after the game, Yamal posted that message against the chants, saying: “Yesterday in the stadium, we heard the chant ‘whoever does not jump is a Muslim’. I know it was directed to the opposing team and nothing towards myself as a person, but as a Muslim myself, this does not stop it from being a lack of respect and something we can’t tolerate.
“I understand not all the fanbase is like that, but to those who sing those chants: using religion as something to mock people in a football stadium leaves you as ignorant and racist people. Football is to enjoy and support, not to offend people by who they are or what they believe in.”
How did the authorities respond?
The Spanish government’s response was swift, expressing its strong condemnation of what had happened.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who had also been the subject of insults sung by the Spain fans, described the anti-Muslim chants as “unacceptable and something that must not happen again”.
“We cannot allow an uncivilised minority to tarnish the reality of Spain — a tolerant country of many,” he said. “The national team and its supporters are as well. My full support goes to the athletes who suffered this, and my applause.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the United States’ largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation, also condemned the chants: “Bigotry has no place in sports or in society at large. Athletic competition should bring people together across cultures, faiths and backgrounds — not spread intolerance.
“These disturbing incidents reflect a broader rise in anti-Muslim bigotry worldwide.”
Rafael Louzan, the president of the RFEF, was asked about the incidents immediately after the match. He condemned the chants but also referred to them as “an isolated case”.
Rafael Louzan (Oscar del Pozo/AFP via Getty Images)
“This must not happen again,” Louzan said. “Spanish society is, for the most part, exemplary — this is an isolated case. We came here at short notice after the ‘Finalissima’ (against Copa America champions and 2022 World Cup winners Argentina) was not held in Qatar, and I have thanked the president of the Egyptian federation for being here and offered my apologies.”
According to an RFEF source, Louzan also apologised to Egypt’s ambassador to Spain, Ehab Ahmed Badawy, who was at the game.
An investigation has been launched by Barcelona police, the Mossos d’Esquadra, in collaboration with the city’s public prosecutor’s office. RFEF sources say their head of security is cooperating with the investigation. Once this is complete, a judge will assess whether there is sufficient evidence to classify the incident as a hate crime under Spanish criminal law.
What’s the political and cultural context in Spain?
There was Muslim rule over large parts of the Iberian Peninsula from the early eighth to the late 15th century. The Moorish province of Al-Andalus at one point covered much of modern Spain, including Barcelona and Madrid.
That left a rich cultural heritage — including many commonly used words in the Spanish language, an influence on the country’s cuisine and internationally famous historical monuments such as Cordoba’s Mosque-Cathedral, Granada’s Alhambra and Sevilla’s Alcazar.
But today’s Spanish far-right party Vox often tries to link its hard-line anti-immigration and anti-Islam policies to the ‘reconquest’ of the country from Muslim rule by Spanish kings, which culminated in the taking of Granada in 1492.
Yamal faced racist abuse referring to his Muslim background at a La Liga Clasico played at Real Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium in October 2024, which led to a minor receiving a one-year stadium ban and being charged with 30 hours of community service. La Liga is currently investigating after Espanyol defender Omar El Hilali alleged Elche striker Rafa Mir said he had “arrived on a raft” during a game in early March, an allegation Mir denies.
Lamine Yamal was racially abused during an October 2024 Clasico at the Bernabeu (David Ramos/Getty Images)
There have been numerous other incidents of racist abuse in Spanish football, with Real Madrid’s Brazil forward Vinicius Junior having suffered several such episodes in stadiums across the country.
Most political parties condemned the chants during the game on Tuesday night, including Spain’s socialist-led government, the main opposition party, the conservative Partido Popular, and the left-wing Podemos.
But Vox secretary general Ignacio Garriga responded by listing other “barbarities” which he considered to be more important — with claims about the number of sexual assaults in Spain, “jihadists” and Spaniards feeling “like foreigners in their own neighbourhoods”.
Another historical legacy is the city of Ceuta — a Spanish autonomous city surrounded by Morocco on the north African coast. Former Tottenham Hotspur winger Nayim, who was born in Ceuta and is now the second-division team’s youth football co-ordinator, criticised Louzan’s claim that the chants were an “isolated incident” in an interview with Mundo Deportivo.
“I’d have liked something stronger from the RFEF,” he said. “You have to come down heavier on these things; there were millions of people watching, and it was very sad. There’s also a Muslim player, one of the best. This must change, coming from the very top.”
What impact might all this have on Spanish football, including the 2030 World Cup?
There was some immediate speculation about how the issue would affect the ongoing contest between Spain and Morocco to host the 2030 World Cup final, with the Bernabeu and the currently under-construction Grand Stade Hassan II in Casablanca seen as possible candidates.
People with knowledge of the process have always insisted that such decisions will be made by FIFA’s leadership, much closer to the tournament.
Away from the final, the RCDE Stadium has been in the running to be one of the host venues for that tournament.
In December 2024, Espanyol confirmed they had received confirmation and approval from FIFA for their 38,500-capacity ground to stage World Cup games. And in recent months, there have been further visits by officials from the world governing body to check that the ground meets the criteria. After the game, Espanyol sources told The Athletic they expected no changes in those plans.
The RCDE Stadium is set to host games at the 2030 World Cup (Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Spain face another Muslim country, Saudi Arabia, in the group stage of this summer’s World Cup in Atlanta on June 21. Links between the two federations are close — the Supercopa de Espana has been played in Saudi Arabia since 2019. That arrangement is worth €40million ($46m; £35m) to the RFEF each year but now needs to be renegotiated due to a fixture clash, with the Asian Cup being played in Saudi Arabia next January.
Sources close to both the Moroccan and Saudi Arabian federations acknowledged the incident was damaging to Spain’s image but declined to tell The Athletic whether they would take an official position on the matter.
Those voices close to the Moroccan federation pointed out their bid to stage the 2030 final predated the chants at Espanyol’s stadium. Meanwhile, the Saudi FA’s immediate focus lies elsewhere, with head coach Herve Renard’s position looking precarious after friendly losses to Egypt (4-0) and Serbia (2-1) in this international break.
Is Yamal being supported?
Yamal received plenty of support from the world of football on his Instagram post about the chants.
Monaco’s former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, also a practising Muslim, commented “Al hamdulillah” — “praise be to God” in Arabic. Ilkay Gundogan, also a Muslim, responded with clapping emojis.
Yamal’s mother Sheila Ebana, meanwhile, wrote: “My son giving life lessons”. Barca team-mates Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde, Fermin Lopez, Joan Garcia and Joao Cancelo were among the other football figures to show support in the comments.
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick was also asked about the chants and Yamal’s response in his pre-match press conference on Friday before their La Liga game against Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
“Lamine made a fantastic statement,” Flick said. “In football, we’re all about inclusion. It’s frustrating; it’s a small number of idiots who don’t understand this. It’s time to reflect and improve. Not just in football, but in life. Racism has no place. It’s about everyone, about being together. We all want to be respected, no matter your skin colour, race or anything.
“It’s time to change these attitudes.”
