Spanish police have opened an investigation after Islamophobic and xenophobic chanting marred Spain’s goalless friendly against Egypt in Barcelona, in an incident that has drawn condemnation from government officials, football authorities and players.
The match, played on Tuesday at Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium, was overshadowed by sections of the crowd jumping up and down and chanting ‘Musulmán el que no bote’ (‘whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim’), while Egypt’s national anthem was booed and offensive remarks were also directed at Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Despite officials displaying an anti-discrimination message on a screen to people inside the ground (main image) and repeated announcements over the stadium’s public address system warning that racism and xenophobia constitute criminal offences, the chanting continued throughout the game.
Catalonia’s regional police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, confirmed on Wednesday that it had launched an investigation into the incident. ‘We are investigating yesterday’s Islamophobic and xenophobic chants at RCDE Stadium during the Spain-Egypt friendly match,’ the force said in a message on social media.
The episode prompted strong political reaction. Justice Minister Félix Bolaños denounced the behaviour, writing on X: ‘Racist insults and chants shame us as a society. The far-right will not leave any space free of its hatred, and those who remain silent today are complicit.’
Spain’s football authorities also moved quickly to condemn the events. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) reiterated that it ‘stands against racism in football and condemns any act of violence inside stadiums’, while its president Rafael Louzán described the chants as ‘specific and isolated situations’ but insisted they must not be repeated.
Head coach Luis de la Fuente was equally forceful in his criticism. ‘It’s intolerable,’ he said after the match. ‘Violent people use football to carve out a space for themselves. They must be removed from society, identified, and kept as far away as possible.’ He added that such individuals ‘are not representative of football’ and should be isolated.
The incidents were also condemned by Barcelona and Spain winger Lamine Yamal, who is Muslim. Writing on Instagram, he said: ‘[The chanting] was aimed at the opposing team and was not something personal against me, but as a Muslim it is still a lack of respect and something intolerable. To those who sing these things: using a religion as a form of mockery on a pitch shows you up as ignorant and racist.’
Commentators said the scenes further damage the image of Spanish football, which has faced repeated racism controversies in recent years, notably involving Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior.
Cadena Ser commentator Dani Garrido described the night as ‘a sad day for Spanish sport’, adding: ‘This country is going to host a World Cup and has a serious racism problem.’
The friendly itself ended 0-0, with Spain dominating possession but failing to convert chances. Ferran Torres came close early on, while Pedri and Cristhian Mosquera both threatened after the break. Egypt also showed their danger on the counter, with Omar Marmoush striking the post in the first half.
The visitors finished with 10 men after Hamdy Fathy was sent off late on, but Spain were unable to capitalise, with Alejandro Grimaldo hitting the crossbar in the closing minutes.
The match had been relocated to Catalonia from Qatar due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, and was played in what many described as a hostile atmosphere from the outset.
It forms part of Spain’s preparations for this summer’s World Cup in North America, where the European champions will face Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H. They are also expected to play Iraq on 4 June and Peru four days later in their final warm-up fixtures.
Egypt, meanwhile, were without star forward Mohamed Salah, who remains sidelined with a muscle injury sustained in March, though his club Liverpool are hopeful he could return imminently.
However, the football itself was largely eclipsed by events in the stands — with the investigation now set to determine whether those responsible for the chants will face sanctions.
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Lamine Yamal shared a strong message after anti-Muslim chants were sung by fans in Spain’s match against Egypt.
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 1, 2026
The chants were not directed at Yamal — a practicing Muslim who observed Ramadan last month — but nonetheless had an indirect impact on the Barcelona teenager. pic.twitter.com/xjPDpeP8PZ
El reprobable cántico en las gradas: “Musulmán el que no bote es” 🤯 pic.twitter.com/qv9XwiiIBd
— MARCA (@marca) March 31, 2026
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