The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has strongly condemned anti-Muslim chants that occurred during a friendly match against its Spanish counterpart at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, held as part of both teams’ final preparations for the 2026 World Cup.
The EFA described the incident as “loathsome” in a Wednesday statement. “We further emphasize our total rejection and condemnation of those events during the match and the lack of respect shown toward the national anthem, a matter that is completely unacceptable in football stadiums and represents a negative phenomenon that must be addressed collectively to be eradicated,” the Association said.
The match, which ended in a 0–0 draw on Tuesday night, witnessed racist and Islamophobic chants from sections of the crowd, including the slogan “who doesn’t jump is a Muslim,” according to media reports.
Authorities intervened by displaying warning messages on the stadium screens, reminding spectators that legislation on the prevention of violence in sport prohibits and penalizes participation in violent, xenophobic, homophobic and racist acts, according to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) whose president Rafael Louzán also promptly condemned the acts.
The Spanish police are investigating the incident, according to Reuters. Minister of Justice in Spain Félix Bolaños has blamed the racist chants on the far-right, stating that such acts “shame us as a society,” he wrote on X Wednesday.
Spnish football star Lamine Yamal reacted to the chants on Wednesday, writing on Instagram: “I know [the chant] was aimed at the opposing team and wasn’t something personal against me, but as a Muslim, this still counts as disrespectful and unacceptable behavior.”
“I understand that not all fans are like that, but to those who chant phrases like this: using religion for mockery in the stadium makes you ignorant and racist,” he added.
The EFA echoed that the incident was caused by a minority of fans and praised the response of the Spanish authorities.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over a broader pattern of racism in Spanish football. According to a study published by the European Commission in January 2025, racism in Spanish sports is “pervasive,” appearing in direct, indirect and structural forms. The research outlines the different types of discrimination faced by athletes, coaches and others involved in sport, including physical abuse.
In January, Brazilian footballer Vinícius Júnior was targeted by racist chants ahead of a Copa del Rey match, in the latest in a series of abuse incidents involving the Real Madrid forward, which have sparked repeated condemnation from authorities and football bodies in Spain.
In 2025, the Madrid Provincial Court sentenced four people found guilty of a hate crime related to an effigy of Júnior to prison terms, fines, disqualification and stadium bans over an incident that took place ahead of a Copa del Rey match in 2023.
