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World football’s governing body FIFA announced on Tuesday that it has initiated disciplinary proceedings against the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) after anti‑Muslim chants were heard during a friendly match between Spain and Egypt on March 31.Spectators at Barcelona’s RCDE Stadium shouted the slogan “Whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim,” prompting the federation to act. In a statement, FIFA said the incident violated its anti‑discrimination statutes and warranted a formal probe.The episode adds to a recent spate of abusive incidents targeting players in Spain, most notably the repeated racial abuse directed at Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior. Spanish police have opened an investigation into the “Islamophobic and xenophobic” chants, while Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez denounced the behaviour as “unacceptable” and warned that a “uncivil minority” would not be allowed to tarnish the nation’s reputation.The Spanish FA issued its own condemnation, and Muslim forward Lamine Yamal, who featured in the match, described the chants as a “lack of respect” from “ignorant and racist” fans. Yamal emphasized that, even though he was not personally targeted, the chants were “disrespectful and intolerable.”Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa echoed concerns, stating he does not believe Spain is a tolerant country and suggesting that if racism were pervasive, “we would have a problem every weekend at all of the stadiums.”FIFA’s disciplinary action underscores the governing body’s commitment to eradicating discrimination from the sport and signals that future infractions could attract sanctions against national federations.

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa has come out in defense of Spain, insisting that the country is not racist despite a recent incident of Islamophobic chanting during a national team match. The incident occurred during Spain's friendly against Egypt on Tuesday, where sections of the crowd at Espanyol's RCDE Stadium in Cornella sang, “Whoever doesn’t jump is Muslim.”Arbeloa emphasized that Spain is a tolerant country and that racist attitudes should be eliminated. “I think Spain is not a racist country. If it was, we would have a problem every weekend at all of the stadiums,” he told reporters. He stressed the importance of eradicating any racist attitude at stadiums and in society, while also highlighting Spain's tolerant nature.The incident drew criticism from Spain and Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal, who is Muslim, and criticised those chanting as “ignorant and racist.” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised Yamal for making a “great statement” by condemning those responsible for the abuse, emphasizing the importance of inclusion and respect.The issue of racism in Spanish football has been a recurring problem, with Real Madrid striker Vinicius Jr having been racially abused at several stadiums across the country in high-profile incidents in recent years. In 2025, five Real Valladolid fans who racially abused Vinicius in a 2022 match were found guilty of committing a hate crime – the first such ruling in Spain regarding insults at a football stadium.Catalonia’s regional police are investigating the chants, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the incident “unacceptable”, emphasizing that Spain is a diverse and tolerant country that cannot allow an uncivil minority to tarnish its reality.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and coach Luis de la Fuente have condemned Islamophobic chants that disrupted the 0-0 draw with Egypt in Barcelona during a pre-World Cup friendly.The incident occurred when Egypt's national anthem was jeered, prompting the public announcement system at RCDE Stadium to appeal to fans to refrain from making offensive comments.This event is part of a string of similar incidents that have overshadowed Spanish football in recent years, including the racial abuse of Real Madrid's Brazilian attacker Vinicius Junior.RFEF president Rafael Louzan described the chants as "specific and isolated situations" and emphasized that they must not be repeated.De la Fuente also condemned the behavior of a section of the 35,000-strong crowd, calling it "intolerable" and stating that such individuals "must be removed from society, identified, and kept as far away as possible."The game was moved from Qatar due to the war in the Middle East and was played in a hostile environment.Spain's coach made 10 changes from their previous friendly win over Serbia, with Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal being the only player to keep his place.Egypt were without their star player, Mohamed Salah, who has been sidelined with a muscle problem.