When France and Spain walk onto the pitch in Arlington on Tuesday, the contest should revolve around Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal and a place in the World Cup final. Instead, former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has forced an ugly argument over race and national identity into the center of the buildup.
Rajoy remarked, “Hoy llegó el desquite,” in his World Cup column published by El Debate on July 10, 2026. He used the piece to celebrate Spain’s 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Belgium before assessing the threat posed by Didier Deschamps’ France.
The former prime minister listed France’s two World Cup titles, its appearance in the 2022 final, its No. 1 FIFA ranking and its perfect record at this tournament. Then he poisoned that praise with a single line. France had a squad of the highest level, Rajoy wrote, “but without French players.”
Rajoy’s Claim Collides With the Squad Facts
That claim is not only inflammatory. It is factually wrong.
Of the 26 players selected by France, 23 were born in the country. The only exceptions are Michael Olise, Marcus Thuram and Brice Samba. Olise was born in London. Thuram was born in Parma while his father, France defender Lilian Thuram, played in Italy. Samba was born in Linzolo in the Republic of the Congo before moving to France and entering the French development system.
Every member of Deschamps’ squad is a French citizen and an eligible French international. Rajoy’s remark therefore questioned the nationality of players based not on their passports or eligibility, but on their names, skin colour and family backgrounds.
Political Leaders Condemn Rajoy’s Remarks
Criticism arrived quickly from both sides of the border.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez responded in a public message on July 12. He condemned those who judge belonging through surnames, birthplace, or skin colour, then accused Rajoy of embarrassing Spain with xenophobic remarks.
Sánchez closed with a message aimed directly at the semifinal: “May the best team win and may racism lose.”
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez addressed the controversy during an interview with BFMTV. He called Rajoy’s statement “completely unacceptable” and said France was a diverse republic where people from every background must be able to find their place.
“France is not an ethnic nation. It has no skin colour or religion.”
Olivier Faure, leader of the French Socialist Party.
Faure also stressed that the national team consists entirely of French citizens. The French Embassy in Madrid offered a simpler response. All 26 players are French; 23 were born in France, and the other three also hold French nationality.
France Has Faced This Argument Before
The dispute has reopened an argument that has followed French football for nearly three decades.
France’s 1998 World Cup champions were celebrated as the “Black, Blanc, Beur” team, a reference to the Black, white and Arab backgrounds represented in the squad. Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly, and Patrick Vieira became central figures in a team presented as an image of modern France.
National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen attacked that squad before its triumph. He questioned whether several players were truly French and complained that some did not sing the national anthem. Many of the footballers he targeted had been born and raised in France.
Right-wing nationalists have repeated versions of the same argument during later tournaments. The pattern is familiar. France makes a deep run; its diverse squad takes center stage, and public figures begin questioning who has the right to represent the country.
That history will follow France into Arlington. It also gives the semifinal a sharper emotional charge.
Rajoy questioned whether these players belong in the French shirt. Spain must now face the footballing force those same players have built into the tournament’s most dangerous attack.
France And Spain Turn Toward the Semifinal
Mbappé has scored eight goals and Ousmane Dembélé has added five. Their combined 13 goals have powered France to within one victory of a third consecutive World Cup final. Olise has supplied invention between the lines, while Bradley Barcola and Désiré Doué give Deschamps speed and direct running from the bench.
France can attack space at speed, slow the match through midfield, or retreat into a compact defensive block. That flexibility carried the team through its 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Morocco, when Deschamps’ players absorbed pressure before punishing the openings that appeared.
Spain presents the clearest test of that balance.
Luis de la Fuente’s side has conceded only one goal during the tournament. Rodri dictates the rhythm in midfield, while Yamal stretches defenders and attacks the spaces created by Spain’s passing. Their possession does more than produce chances. It limits counterattacks, compresses the field, and forces opponents to spend long periods without the ball.
France has the power to break that control. Mbappé can attack behind Spain’s defensive line. Dembélé can isolate defenders from wide positions, while Olise can drift inside and exploit space around Rodri.
Recent Meetings Add Another Layer of Tension
The match also carries recent sporting history. Spain eliminated France from Euro 2024 after recovering from an early goal to win 2-1. De la Fuente’s team defeated France again in a nine-goal Nations League semifinal in 2025.
Deschamps now has a more coherent and productive side. France has reached four of the last seven World Cup finals and stands one win away from reaching a fifth final in eight tournaments. Spain is trying to return to the title match for the first time since winning the trophy in 2010.
Those stakes were already large enough. Rajoy’s remarks have added anger and scrutiny to a match that needed neither.
Once the whistle blows, France’s players will not need to prove whether they belong in the blue shirt. They will only need to prove whether they are good enough to beat Spain.
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FAQs
Q1. What did Mariano Rajoy say about France’s team?
A. Rajoy praised the squad but wrote that it had no French players. Political leaders in Spain and France condemned the comment.
Q2. How many France players were born in France?
A. A total of 23 players in France’s 26 man squad were born in the country.
Q3. Which France players were born outside France?
A. Michael Olise was born in London, Marcus Thuram in Parma, and Brice Samba in Linzolo in the Republic of the Congo.
Q4. Why were Rajoy’s comments criticised?
A. All 26 players are French citizens. Critics said his remark judged their nationality by race, names, and family backgrounds.
Q5. When did Spain last beat France?
A. Spain beat France 2-1 at Euro 2024 and won their 2025 Nations League semifinal 5-4.
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