Racism controversies have overshadowed the build-up to France's World Cup semifinal clash with Spain on July 14, after former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy claimed in a published column that the French squad contained no Frenchmen, a remark current Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez denounced as shameful.
Players from both sides pushed back. Spain's Lamine Yamal said football serves to integrate society, while French midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery celebrated his country's diversity. Off the pitch, Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla directed racist insults at Kylian Mbappé following France's round-of-16 victory, prompting the French Football Federation to file a complaint that opened a criminal inquiry.
FIFA reported identifying 89,000 abusive social media posts during the group stage — a thirteenfold increase from 2022, with 11 percent racial in nature. Two players were expelled under the tournament's anti-racism protocol.