Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has sparked controversy ahead of the 2026 World Cup semifinal between Spain and France after comments about the French national team prompted criticism from politicians in both countries.

Rajoy, who has spent recent weeks analyzing every Spain match at the tournament for Spanish newspaper El Debate, raised the temperature ahead of the highly anticipated semifinal with his assessment of France’s squad.

His comments quickly drew a response from current Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who criticized what he described as attempts to define belonging based on a person’s background rather than their connection to the country.

“There are still those who measure belonging by a surname, place of birth or skin color,” Sánchez wrote on X. “Others measure it by roots in a country and the willingness to contribute to it. Playing soccer. Taking care of our elderly. Or opening businesses.”

“Spain belongs to those who love it and work for it. Not those who embarrass it with xenophobic statements. France, see you in the semifinals. May the best team win and may racism lose.”

French officials condemn Rajoy’s remarks

Spain’s foreign minister also described Rajoy’s comments as “dangerous,” while emphasizing the relationship between the two countries.

“All French people, without distinction, are our friends, our neighbors and our partners,” he said.

The controversy centers on Rajoy’s description of France’s squad, in which he said the team “has a very high-level roster, although without French players.”

Those comments prompted a response from France’s interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, who called them “absolutely unacceptable.”

“If that statement is accurate, it is absolutely unacceptable. It does not reflect France at all,” Nuñez said in an interview with French broadcaster BFMTV when asked about the controversy surrounding the former Spanish leader.

France defends its multicultural identity

In France, Rajoy’s comments have become a major talking point ahead of the semifinal, with politicians defending the country’s multicultural identity and rejecting the idea that national belonging is linked to ethnicity.

Nuñez argued that France is “a country of diversity, where everyone can develop and find their place,” adding that comments of this nature risk fueling racist attacks against members of the French national team, particularly captain Kylian Mbappé.

Olivier Faure, the first secretary of France’s Socialist Party, also criticized Rajoy’s remarks and targeted his political party.

“France is not an ethnic nation. It does not have a skin color or a religion. It is a political nation united around the motto of the Republic. No matter how much it may bother the racist right,” Faure wrote on social media.

The controversy adds another layer of tension to a semifinal matchup between two of international soccer’s biggest powers, with Spain and France set to battle for a place in the 2026 World Cup final.

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