Spain, the World Cup champion, has been fined $20,000 by FIFA due to anti-Muslim chants from fans during a warmup match against Egypt in Barcelona. FIFA confirmed the penalty, which was upheld by the appeals body following an initial decision by three disciplinary judges. The incident occurred on March 31 and was criticized by Spain’s Muslim player, Lamine Yamal, as disrespectful and unacceptable. Yamal emphasized the ignorance and racism of using religion as a taunt on the field in a post on Instagram. Despite not being directly targeted, Yamal expressed his disapproval of the behavior.
FIFA’s disciplinary judges stated that severe penalties were necessary, acknowledging that this was the first offense by the Spanish soccer federation. The federation promptly condemned the incident and took swift action. As a result, FIFA ordered the federation to pay the fine and implement crowd control measures at their next home friendly, anticipated to be held in June 2027 or March 2028. Specifically, 15% of the seats at Spain’s home stadium must be closed or allocated to special interest groups like families, students, and anti-discrimination organizations.
The offensive chants were identified during the 0-0 draw at Espanyol’s stadium in the 10th and 47th minutes, according to FIFA. The judges commended Spanish officials for their proactive measures before the match, cooperation with authorities, condemnation of the chants, and efforts to identify the responsible fans.
