Two days before the clash between France and Spain in the World Cup semi-final, a controversy has erupted, overshadowing the event. The cause? A highly controversial statement made by former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy about the French national team.
On the pitch, the match already promised to be explosive. France and Spain were set to face off in the World Cup semi-final , in a duel between two nations accustomed to major international tournaments. Les Bleus, world champions in 2018 and finalists in the last edition , arrived with a solid reputation, while La Roja were determined to continue their run in the competition. But as the match approached, attention wasn’t solely focused on the players’ performances. A media outburst from Spain added even more tension to the already tense situation .
In an opinion piece published by the daily newspaper El Debate, Mariano Rajoy, former Spanish Prime Minister from 2011 to 2018, offered his analysis of the upcoming match. The 71-year-old former leader, who has not held any political office since leaving power following a vote of no confidence , began by highlighting the quality of the French team. He mentioned a squad with an impressive record and an opponent he considers particularly dangerous for Spain . His comments, which could have remained confined to the sporting arena, have taken a turn and are now at the center of a controversy.
Mariano Rajoy’s “little” comment that sparked outrage
In his column, Mariano Rajoy discusses the French squad before making a remark that immediately sparked controversy. After praising the level of Didier Deschamps’ players , he writes: “They also have a very high-level squad. Admittedly, without any French players, ” he clarifies. “And they play very well. They will be a formidable opponent.”
The problem is that this statement, beyond the controversy it sparked, doesn’t reflect the reality of the French squad, as the EuroNews website points out . Of the 26 players called up by coach Didier Deschamps , only three were born abroad: Michael Olise, born in London to an Anglo-Nigerian father and a French-Algerian mother; Marcus Thuram, born in Parma while his father, Lilian Thuram, was playing in Italy; and Brice Samba, born in the Democratic Republic of Congo. All three are nonetheless French citizens and were primarily developed within the French football system.
After the Paraguayan controversy, a new gaffe that’s causing a stir
This new controversy comes just days after another affair involving the French national team, and more specifically Kylian Mbappé. Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla had already sparked a strong reaction after making very harsh remarks about the French striker. Following Les Bleus’ victory against Paraguay on July 4th, she furiously declared: ” That idiot hasn’t even learned to write . Instead of suckling breast milk, he suckled coconuts, and the most educated beings he’d ever heard of were chimpanzees.”
A statement that sparked widespread outrage , before this latest outburst once again hit the French national team hard. Like the Paraguayan government, the Spanish government broke its silence to strongly condemn the septuagenarian’s remarks. The Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, attacked Rajoy on X, quoting his column: ” Red = Devil . Black ≠ French. Did some naive person ever truly believe that this corrupt, post-Francoist idiot , whom the country’s judicial system spared from prison through a back door, was a moderate man?”
On social media, many Spaniards reacted en masse to criticize the former prime minister . ” Damn, this ‘no French’ thing is disgusting. I hope we win the World Cup thanks to a goal from Nico Williams or Lamine [Yamal ], to see what that fascist says,” “Rajoy behaved like the Celeste Amarilla. Mbappé is going to have to shut another racist up. In the end, this World Cup is showing us the true face of the scum of the earth,” “He’s a moron, in the medical sense of the word!” “And then we’ll be surprised that people support France…” were some of the comments. Rajoy, or the art of the own goal.
