3 min readUpdated: Apr 1, 2026 07:37 PM IST
Spanish teenager superstar Lamine Yamal, a practising Muslim, slammed Islamophobic and xenophobic chants during Tuesday’s friendly against Egypt in Spain on Tuesday.
At the RCDE Stadium near Barcelona, the home ground of LaLiga club Espanyol, Spain supporters chanted “who doesn’t jump is a Muslim” during the World Cup warm-up match which ended in a goalless draw.
“I am a Muslim—Alhamdulillah,” Yamal’s Instagram post, written in Spanish, started. “Yesterday at the stadium, the chant ‘Whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim’ could be heard. I know it was directed at the opposing team and wasn’t meant as a personal attack against me; however, as a Muslim, it remains disrespectful and utterly intolerable.”
Yamal added the use of religion to mock athletes is ignorant. “I understand that not all fans are like this, but to those who chant such things: using a religion as a source of mockery on the pitch only exposes you as ignorant and racist individuals. Football is meant to be enjoyed and to inspire support—not to disrespect people for who they are or what they believe in. That said, thank you to everyone who came out to cheer us on. See you at the World Cup.”
According to The Guardian, the incidents began early as Egypt’s national anthem was jeered and that “authorities at the RCDE Stadium
appealed to fans more than once over the public announcement system to refrain from making offensive comments.”
Spanish police launched an investigation on Wednesday into the chants which also drew sharp criticism from Spain’s football officials and the government, Reuters reported.
Justice Minister Felix Bolanos denounced the chants on social media platform X, reiterating the leftist government’s stance against the rise of the far right, which it associates with growing racism and xenophobia.
“Racist insults and chants shame us as a society. The far right will not leave any space free of its hatred, and those who remain silent today are complicit,” he wrote.
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The incident highlighted concerns about racism in Spanish soccer, a recurring issue notably involving Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinícius Jr., who has been targeted in high-profile cases.
The stadium displayed messages on overhead screens, reminding fans that taking part in acts of racism and xenophobia was a crime, yet the chants continued.
Spain’s coach Luis de la Fuente told reporters that the racist behaviour of fans was intolerable. “They are not representative of football. They take advantage of football, as they do in other areas of life. We need to isolate these people from society,” he said. The Spanish Football Federation said in a message on social media that it “stands against racism in football and condemns any act of violence inside stadiums”.
Catalonia’s regional police force, Mossos d’Esquadra, said on Wednesday they had opened an investigation into the incident, without providing further details.
(With Reuters inputs)
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