FIFA has fined the Spanish Football Federation 18,000 euros and ordered a partial stadium closure for its next home friendly after Spanish supporters chanted Islamophobic slogans during a March 31 match against Egypt.
At the RCDE Stadium near Barcelona, sections of the crowd repeatedly sang “Whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim” targeting the Egyptian team.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee ruled the chants discriminatory, rejecting the Spanish federation’s claim that the word “Muslim” was not insulting.
Spain’s Muslim star Lamine Yamal condemned the behavior as “ignorant and racist.”
The Spanish federation plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The incident is not isolated. It reflects a wider climate of Islamophobia that has intensified since the Ceuta migration crisis.
In late July 2026, tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco into the Spanish North African enclave.
Thousands remain, straining resources and exposing deep social fault lines in a city with a large Muslim population.
Hate speech spiked online and in the streets. Slogans such as “Spain is Christian, not Muslim” and “Out with the invaders” appeared at protests.
Local Muslims reported being insulted or attacked after being mistaken for recent arrivals.
Official monitors recorded the highest levels of xenophobic and Islamophobic online content in a year.
This week, leaked audio recordings further inflamed tensions. At least three Spanish soldiers deployed in Ceuta were recorded during a September night shift laughing as they described beating migrants.
One said, “Without gloves it’s cooler, because you hear the sound.” Another recounted tricking migrants into standing behind a vehicle before striking them unexpectedly.
Amnesty International has described such acts as possible torture or cruel treatment.