MADRID (AP) 鈥� First came the against Vin铆cius J煤nior. Then the by the nation’s top soccer official. And now Spain is dealing with the fallout of during a friendly match against Egypt.
Success on the pitch for both Spain鈥檚 women and men鈥檚 teams has been partially overshadowed in recent years by incidents of racism, sexism and xenophobia.
As the approaches, concerns have been raised about whether meaningful cultural change is happening in Spain, one of the title favorites.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a very good image for Spain right now, but we can鈥檛 mistake these acts by minority groups, usually the ultra groups, with the actions of the majority of fans in Spain,鈥� said Esteban Ibarra, head of the Madrid-based Movement Against Intolerance, Racism and Xenophobia.
Spain is one of the co-hosts of the 2030 World Cup, and cleaning up its image abroad is seen as a priority. The Spanish government and local soccer officials have been working hard to dismiss the notion that Spain is a racist country.
They have called recent incidents in soccer 鈥� including the anti-Muslim chants last month 鈥� isolated cases that can be blamed mostly on the actions of a minority of radical fans.
鈥淭he first thing we must bear in mind is that these acts, which we condemn in the strongest possible terms, have been perpetrated by a group of people who in no way represent the vast majority of Spanish soccer fans,鈥� Spain’s Higher Council for Sports, the nation’s top sports authority, told The Associated Press in a statement.
鈥淭he chants were deplorable and cannot be repeated,” it said. “We are confident that the Spanish men and women attending the World Cup this summer will support our team with passion and always with respect.鈥�
Lamine Yamal speaks out
Spain was drawn into a that includes Saudi Arabia, an overwhelmingly Muslim country.
It was in the March 31 friendly against Egypt 鈥� another predominantly Muslim nation 鈥� that a group of Spanish fans sang the anti-Muslim chants that made headlines worldwide. They also jeered Egypt’s national anthem in the match in Barcelona.
鈥淭hese actions are entirely unacceptable in football stadiums and represent a negative phenomenon that must be collectively addressed and eradicated,鈥� the Egyptian Football Association said.
The chants happened despite the presence of Spain star forward Lamine Yamal, who is Muslim. On the next day, he called the chants , and said it didn鈥檛 matter that they were not directed at him personally.
鈥淚 understand that not all fans are like that, but to those who chant these things: Using a religion as a taunt on the field makes you look ignorant and racist,鈥� the 18-year-old Yamal said. 鈥淔ootball is for enjoying and cheering, not for disrespecting people for who they are or what they believe.鈥�
Spanish police opened an investigation into the behavior of the fans during the game, and FIFA against the Spanish soccer federation.
The Spanish federation has used the popularity of Yamal as an example of how the recent incidents don鈥檛 represent the nation鈥檚 fanbase as a whole. It noted that Yamal’s shirt is the best-selling Spain jersey and that he is the most sought-after player everywhere the team goes.
The federation also noted several actions and campaigns that have been taking place in Spain, with the participation of the government and other soccer entities, against intolerance and discrimination in sports.
Abuse against Vin铆cius sparked action against racism
Spain was widely criticized for its lack of action against racism in soccer after Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vin铆cius said he was racially abused in a Spanish league game in . Vin铆cius, who is Black, said at the time that the Spanish league 鈥渘ow belongs to racists鈥� and Spain 鈥渋s seen as a racist country.鈥�
He has since nuanced his description of Spain, but continues to speak up against racism in the sport.
鈥淚鈥檓 not saying that Spain or Germany or Portugal are racist countries, but there are racists in these countries, and in Brazil and other countries as well,鈥� Vin铆cius said after for his condemnation of the anti-Muslim chants last month. 鈥淏ut if we keep fighting together, I think future players and people in general won鈥檛 have to go through this again.鈥�
There was widespread support for Vin铆cius after the 2023 match in which he threatened to leave the field in Valencia after a few members of ultra groups called him 鈥渕onkey.鈥�
The number of cases of racial abuse against the Brazil international decreased as authorities started to take more significant action. The for racism-related cases in professional soccer in Spain came after Vin铆cius鈥� repeated complaints, and fans were punished in other cases as well.
A recent Supreme Court ruling set a precedent for more severe sentences in cases of intolerance in sports, another step forward for Spain in the fight against discriminatory actions.
Federation says it has changed since the Rubiales scandal
Not long after the abuse against Vin铆cius, the Spanish soccer federation faced another scandal involving the behavior of then-federation president Luis Rubiales.
Rubiales resigned and was eventually for grabbing player Jenni Hermoso’s head and kissing her on the lips after Spain won the 2023 Women’s World Cup final.
Critics said the scandal highlighted a culture of sexism in Spanish soccer.
The federation says the incident prompted internal change, noting that 50% percent of its board of directors is now composed of women, who are also in several top managerial positions.
Spanish fans expected to behave at the World Cup
During the World Cup, the federation does not expect problems involving Spanish fans, in part because it can try to keep members of radical fan groups from buying tickets for Spain鈥檚 matches by monitoring the identity of those making mass purchases.
鈥淚n theory, during the World Cup there isn鈥檛 really the risk that these types of cases will happen,” Ibarra said. 鈥淓specially now that Spain is on alert because of the international repercussion of the recent incidents, and more severe measures are expected against these Spanish ultra groups that are responsible for these acts.鈥�
The Spanish government said it has been working for years “in a coordinated and effective manner with government agencies, state security forces, federations, clubs and fans to prevent a few hooligans from tarnishing our sport.鈥�
The government also noted it has 鈥渙ne of the most advanced systems in Europe鈥� to combat intolerance acts, with an anti-violence commission in place to coordinate actions by authorities, prosecutors and other institutions involved.
The men鈥檚 team heads to the World Cup as the defending European champion. Since its disappointing round-of-16 elimination in the World Cup in Qatar, Spain also won the Nations League in 2023 and was runner-up last year.
___
AP World Cup coverage:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
