Rajoy says French World Cup team has ‘no Frenchmen’, drawing accusations of racism

The controversial column

Mariano Rajoy, who served as Spain's prime minister from 2011 to 2018, wrote an analysis for the digital newspaper El Debate on Spain's World Cup progress. The column followed the Spanish team's quarter-final victory over Belgium. Rajoy said "today came the revenge" for Spain's 1986 elimination by the same opponent, and expressed double satisfaction because he dislikes both "the devils and the reds", a jibe at Belgium's nickname and Spain's socialist party. After praising France as a "formidable adversary" with "a very high level" of play, he added the phrase "but without Frenchmen". The sentence implied that the French players, many of whom have family roots in Africa, are not genuinely French.

Political backlash

The remarks drew swift condemnation. Santiago Martínez-Vares, a political analyst on laSexta Xplica, said the article "could have been signed by Vito Quiles", a far-right social media figure. Martínez-Vares argued that former presidents should "stay at home quietly and knit", and that such comments are "very dangerous".

All of the French national team are French, all of them, whatever the colour of their skin.

José Cepeda, a socialist MEP, said he felt "shame hearing a former prime minister of this country speak in those terms". He described the comments as "racist, xenophobic and fostering hatred", aligning with the discourse of the European far right.

It is very lamentable and the most serious thing is that this kind of statement and assertion only fosters hatred.

Both figures noted that Rajoy had previously called Spain's European championship-winning side a "shame" while posting a photo of Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal.

The reality of the French squad

France's 26-player squad for the 2026 World Cup includes only three members born outside France. Michael Olise was born in London to a British-Nigerian father and Franco-Algerian mother. Marcus Thuram was born in Parma, Italy, while his father Lilian played for the local club. Brice Samba was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has represented France since 2023. The remaining 23 players were born on French soil. All hold French nationality.

Timeline of reactions

Rajoy's column appeared online on 11 July 2026. Later that evening, on laSexta Xplica, the first condemnations were broadcast. Cepeda's reaction aired at 21:21 local time, followed by Martínez-Vares at 21:59.

Wider context

The incident takes place as Spanish and European politics shift rightward. Cepeda linked Rajoy's rhetoric to what is "unfortunately starting to be heard in the European Parliament from the extreme right". Martínez-Vares recalled that during the last papal visit, Spanish politicians applauded a speech they do not believe in, suggesting hypocrisy on human rights. Rajoy's column also contained a political jab at "the reds", a reference to Spain's socialist party and the colour of the national team's shirt. The controversy echoes earlier debates about national identity and race in European football, with the French team frequently at the centre of such discussions.