Racist outburst from former Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy: 'French team without the French'
Key Points
- Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy used the phrase 'a team without Frenchmen' for the French team ahead of the World Cup semi-final.
- French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez found the words absolutely unacceptable and gave a message defending diversity.
- 23 of the 26 players in the French squad were born in France and are French citizens despite their immigrant origins.
- The semi-final match in question will be played on 14 July at the Dallas Stadium in the United States of America.
By the Numbers
Ahead of the 2026 North America World Cup semi-final, former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy made racist remarks about the French national team. In a column, Rajoy targeted the French team by saying "they are achieving this success without being French."
The remarks immediately drew sharp criticism and were described as "absolutely unacceptable" by French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. Nuñez emphasized that France is a country that respects diversity and strives to build a society where everyone can find their place.
Although only three players in the French squad of 26 were born outside of France, the rest were all born in France. The fact that many players are of immigrant origin was interpreted as the former prime minister not considering these athletes as true French citizens.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What exactly did former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy say?
- In a column, Rajoy stated that the French national team is strong, claiming that they achieved all this success "without being French."
- What are the origins of the players in the French team?
- 23 out of 26 players were born in France. Even though the other three players were born abroad, a large part of the squad are children or grandchildren of immigrant families.
- How did the French authorities react to this racist statement?
- French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that he found the words unacceptable, emphasizing that his country values multiculturalism and everyone finding their own place.
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Read the full story at the sourceseoul.co.krThis story across sources · 8 · 8 countries
- Backlash from French politicians to racist remarks by former Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy about the France national teamFrance Info·
- La Croix·
- Janoubia·
- Información·
- Okdiario·
- France's Interior Minister Finds Former Spanish PM Rajoy's Comments on the French National Team UnacceptableСпорт-Экспресс (Sport-Express)·
- Bizim Sivas·
- Globo Esporte·