Mariano Rajoy, Spain's conservative former prime minister, has ignited a political firestorm after writing that the French national football team plays "without Frenchmen." The remark, published in his World Cup column for the Spanish newspaper El Debate, has drawn sharp condemnation from both French and Spanish officials, who accuse him of racism and xenophobia.
Rajoy's column, titled "Hoy llegó el desquite" ("Today Was the Day for Revenge"), reviewed Spain's quarterfinal victory over Belgium and previewed their semifinal clash against Didier Deschamps' France side. In that context, he acknowledged France's status as two-time world champions and their perfect record in the tournament, calling their squad "top-tier" — before adding, "but without Frenchmen."
The comment was widely interpreted as a reference to the diverse backgrounds of many French players, including those with immigrant heritage or roots in former French colonies. Yet of the 26 players called up by Deschamps, only three were born outside France: Michael Olise (London), Marcus Thuram (Parma), and Brice Samba (Democratic Republic of the Congo).
Political backlash across the continent
In Spain, José Cepeda, a Member of the European Parliament for the ruling left-wing PSOE party, called Rajoy's words "racist and xenophobic" and described them as "shameful." In France, Aurore Bergé, the minister delegate for equality and the fight against discrimination, posted on X that "the repeated racist outbursts are intolerable. It's time they stop and that sports return to being sports: a space where we are judged on our talent and no other criterion."
Fabien Roussel, national secretary of the French Communist Party, called for Rajoy to be "condemned" and compared his comments to recent remarks by a Paraguayan politician about Kylian Mbappé — which led the Paris prosecutor's office to open an investigation for aggravated public insult. "They just can't help but spout vile racism in a bid to rile up our wonderful French team," Roussel wrote.
The Élysée Palace did not respond to requests for comment.
A recurring debate on French identity
Rajoy's remarks tap into a long-running discussion about French football and immigration, dating back to France's first World Cup victory in 1998. That team, featuring Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly, and Patrick Vieira — many with immigrant or colonial backgrounds — was celebrated as a symbol of French multiculturalism. But Jean-Marie Le Pen's National Front argued at the time that the side did not truly represent France, calling it "artificial" to field foreign-born players as the national team.
Those arguments, widely condemned as racist, have resurfaced repeatedly in French politics, often tied to debates over immigration and national identity. The controversy also echoes broader European tensions around multiculturalism and representation, which have flared in other contexts — such as the EU's recent scaling back of visa bans for Russian combatants after French and Italian objections.
Rajoy's comment is not the first time a European politician has waded into such territory. In France, Marine Le Pen has made similar arguments about the national team, and she recently vowed to run in the 2027 presidential election despite an embezzlement conviction. The persistence of these narratives underscores how sports can become a proxy for deeper societal divisions.
For now, the French team remains focused on the pitch, with Deschamps' squad preparing for the semifinal against Spain. But the political fallout from Rajoy's column is unlikely to fade quickly, as it has reopened old wounds about what it means to be French — and European — in an increasingly diverse continent.
