Spain drew 0-0 with Egypt on Tuesday. However, what should have just been a final tuneup for both nations ahead of the FIFA World Cup this summer turned into controversy.
Fans at RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, were heard echoing an anti-Muslim chant: “Musulmán el que no bote es,” which roughly translates to “Whoever does not jump is a Muslim.” The Spanish Football Federation sent warnings to stop, but the Islamophobic phrase continued throughout the match.
Spain forward Lamine Yamal, who is outspoken about his Islamic faith, posted on social media that even though the hate speech was directed at his opponent, the chants were “disrespectful” and “intolerable.”
“I understand not all fans are like this, but to those who chant these things: Using a religion as a mockery on a football field leaves you as ignorant and racist people,” he said. “Football is to be enjoyed and encouraged, not to disrespect people for who they are or what they believe in.”
The 18-year-old Yamal has become one of Spain’s top players. The FC Barcelona winger earned his first international cap at 16 in 2023, making him the youngest player in Spanish history to do so. Since then, he has cemented his stardom as Barcelona’s top goal-scorer.
This was not the first time Yamal had encountered racism from supporters. During the biannual El Clásico match in October 2024 between Real Madrid and Barcelona, fans who directed racial slurs at Yamal were later arrested.
Spain will kick off the 2026 World Cup in Atlanta against Cape Verde on June 15, and three days later, the Spaniards will face Saudi Arabia — another Muslim-majority country — in their second group stage match.
FIFA holds a “zero tolerance” approach to all forms of racism. In May 2024, the federation announced the “Global Stand Against Racism” approach, where players or coaches could use a hand gesture to alert referees to racism on the field or stands. If it continues, the referee has the power to suspend or forfeit the match.
A UEFA Champions League match between Real Madrid and Benfica in February was halted over a dispute where Benfica fans racially abused Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior. Júnior also accused Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni of using a racial slur. The match resumed after about 10 minutes of stoppage. UEFA later fined Benfica and is investigating Prestianni.
However, neither the international friendly nor the Champions League match is operated by FIFA. This World Cup will put the federation’s initiative to the test for national teams.
The protocol was initiated during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, where Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger allegedly directed a racist insult at Pachuca player Gustavo Cabral, but FIFA’s investigation claimed not to have found clear evidence of racism.
FIFA’s campaign also called for criminal charges to be brought.
“We will push for the recognition of racism as a criminal offence in every country in the world, and where already an offence, will push for prosecution with the severity it deserves,” FIFA said on its site.
Local police are investigating the incident at the Spain and Egypt game. However, when the global tournament comes to the U.S. in June, it’s important to note that in countries like Spain, hate speech is not protected under law like the First Amendment.
In the past, FIFA has sanctioned federations for such instances. During the 2025 World Cup-qualifying matches FIFA fined six organizations, including Argentina, Albania and Colombia, for fan racism.
Both the Egyptian and Spanish federations condemned the Islamophobia after the March friendly, while FIFA has not released a statement. It won’t be long until Spanish fans fill Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and time will tell if a similar situation occurs in Atlanta and what FIFA will do about it.
Regardless, Yamal also sent a final message to fans who did not engage in the hateful chants.
“Thank you to the people who came to cheer us on,” Yamal said. “See you at the World Cup.”
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