Former Spanish PM Rajoy’s remark draws diplomatic backlash

Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has ignited a diplomatic and political firestorm with a comment claiming the French national football team has "no French players," drawing widespread condemnation from leaders in both Spain and France ahead of a high-stakes World Cup semifinal. Rajoy, who served as Spain's conservative prime minister from 2011 to 2018, made the remark in a column published by the Spanish website El Debate on July 10, previewing the match scheduled for July 14 in Dallas.

The current Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, led the domestic criticism, denouncing the statement as xenophobic in a social media post on July 12. He wrote that some measure belonging by superficial criteria like surname or skin color, while others measure it by one's roots and contributions to a country. Sánchez concluded that Spain belongs to those who love and work for it, not to those who shame it with xenophobic statements. Other Spanish officials, including Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares and Transport Minister Óscar Puente, also publicly rebuked their predecessor.

The reaction from French officials was swift and severe, spanning the political spectrum. Interior...