A political row has erupted ahead of the World Cup semi-final between Spain and France after former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy claimed that the French squad was composed “without Frenchmen”.

The remark prompted a forceful response from Pedro Sánchez, who accused his predecessor of shaming Spain with xenophobic language and defended a broader, more inclusive understanding of national identity.

Rajoy questions the French squad

According to Rajoy’s opinion column in El Debate, France’s performances and previous World Cup success make Didier Deschamps’ side a formidable opponent for Spain.

Rajoy wrote:

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“They also have a squad of the highest level. That said, without Frenchmen. And they are playing very well. They will be a formidable opponent.”

The wording is slightly different from the widely circulated claim that Rajoy said France “does not have any French players”, but the meaning was widely interpreted as questioning the Frenchness of players from immigrant or minority backgrounds.

The claim was also factually misleading. As reported by El País, 23 of the 26 players in France’s World Cup squad were born in France. The other three are also French citizens.

Sánchez condemns ‘xenophobic statements’

In a post published on X, Sánchez rejected Rajoy’s definition of national belonging.

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“There are still those who measure belonging by surname, place of birth or skin colour,” Sánchez wrote.

“Others measure it by our roots in a country and our willingness to contribute to it. Playing football. Caring for our elderly. Or opening businesses.”

He continued:

“Spain belongs to those who love it and work for it. Not to those who shame it with xenophobic statements.”

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Sánchez concluded by addressing France directly ahead of the semi-final:

“France, we will see you in the semi-final. May the best team win and racism lose.”

Politics enters the World Cup build-up

The exchange has moved attention away from the pitch just days before two of Europe’s strongest footballing nations meet for a place in the World Cup final.

Rajoy, who served as Spain’s conservative prime minister from 2011 until 2018, had initially used his column to celebrate Spain’s progress and assess the challenge posed by France.

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However, his reference to the French players’ backgrounds quickly overshadowed the footballing analysis and revived a long-running debate over race, citizenship and national identity in European football.

For Sánchez, the response also provided an opportunity to draw a clear political distinction between himself and his predecessor. What began as a World Cup preview has consequently developed into a wider dispute over who is entitled to be regarded as truly French or Spanish.

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