Yamal condemns anti-Islamic chants in Spain’s match against Egypt as police open investigation

Spanish star Lamine Yamal on Wednesday condemned anti-Islamic chants by Spanish fans during a friendly match in the latest incident to tarnish the country’s sporting image.

The Spanish government and football federation also condemned the chants, and police said they were investigating the behavior of fans during Tuesday’s match between Spain and Egypt in the city of Barcelona.

Yamal, who is Muslim, said the chants from some of the fans at the RCDE Stadium were disrespectful and intolerable. He said it didn’t matter that the chants weren’t directed at him personally.

“I understand that not all fans are like this, but for those who chant these things, using religion as a mockery on the pitch makes you look ignorant and racist,” he wrote. Instagram. “Football is about enjoying and cheering, not about disrespecting people for who they are or what they believe.”

Racist abuse against players is not uncommon in Spain. Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior has often been subjected to racist taunts during matches.

READ ALSO | The Spanish FA condemns anti-Muslim chants that graciously marred Egypt

Sexism has also been a problem, as Spanish football suffered one of its most embarrassing incidents when then-national coach Luis Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after the 2023 Women’s World Cup final. He was ultimately found guilty of sexual assault.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente also condemned the anti-Muslim chants after the match, which was part of the team’s preparations for the World Cup.

“I feel a total and absolute aversion to any xenophobic or racist attitude,” he said. “They are unbearable.”

The match ended in a 0–0 draw.

The Egyptian Football Association denounced the anti-Islamic chants, calling them a «reprehensible racist act.» It also condemned the disrespect shown when the national anthem was played before the match SO8JlD.

MATCH REPORT | Spain was left in a goalless deadlock by Egypt in a friendly match

“These actions are completely unacceptable in football stadiums and represent a negative phenomenon that must be collectively addressed and eradicated,” the EFA said in a statement.

It added that it “highly appreciates the statements of rejection and condemnation from the Spanish Football Federation, the Spanish Ministry of Sports, as well as officials and football figures across Spain, all of whom denounced the racist incidents they witnessed during the match.”

The EFA said it was working with “FIFA officials and all relevant stakeholders and international institutions to prevent such offensive incidents from occurring in football stadiums worldwide”.

“What happened is completely unacceptable, and FIFA remains committed to combating racism and discrimination in football,” FIFA said. “We emphasize the importance of preventing the recurrence of such incidents and working hard to eradicate this phenomenon altogether.”

Egypt is a predominantly Muslim country.

“Hate, racism and xenophobia have no place in stadiums or in our society,” Milagros Tolón, Spain’s sports minister, said on Wednesday.

Catalonia’s regional police said: «we will investigate yesterday’s Islamophobic and xenophobic chants at the RCDE stadium during the Spain-Egypt friendly match.»

Barcelona-based club Espanyol condemned what it called «racist behavior» at their stadium.

“Such actions are reprehensible and unacceptable, do not represent the values ​​of sport and must be strongly condemned and eradicated from all sporting venues,” Espanyol said.

The club claimed its supporters were unfairly blamed for the incident in a ‘smear campaign’ and that the national team’s fans had ‘widely diverse geographical and football backgrounds’.

Last year, an Espanyol fan accused of racially abusing Athletic Bilbao striker Iñaki Williams during a 2020 Spanish league match accepted a deal to avoid jail time.

Spain will play Saudi Arabia at the World Cup and will also face Cape Verde and Uruguay in Group H of the 48-team tournament. Egypt has matches against Belgium, New Zealand and Iran in Group G.

Spain hosted Egypt for the match, which was originally scheduled to be played in Qatar before the region was hit by the war with Iran. A “Finalissima” match there between South American champions Argentina and European champions Spain was canceled after they could not agree on a new date.

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Tuesday’s chants.

Published on April 1, 2026