FIFA has fined the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) US$20,000 and ordered at least 15% of the stands closed at Spain's next home friendly, over Islamophobic chants from part of the crowd at a friendly against Egypt. The punishment was announced on Friday, after the body's appeals committee confirmed the ruling of its disciplinary judges.
The match was played on 31 March 2026 at Espanyol's stadium in Cornellà de Llobregat, on the outskirts of Barcelona, and ended 0-0. It was a World Cup warm-up. The chant — "whoever doesn't jump is a Muslim" — was heard twice, in the 10th and 47th minutes, according to AP. Egypt's national anthem was also jeered before kick-off.
After the second time, the stadium announcer issued a warning and the scoreboard displayed an anti-discrimination message. Spanish police opened an investigation the following day into the chants, which they described as Islamophobic and xenophobic.
The argument FIFA refused
The core of the decision is not the size of the fine but what FIFA ruled about the meaning of the word.
The RFEF argued that "Muslim" is neither insulting nor pejorative and that the case therefore belonged under the provision covering political, ideological, religious or offensive messages — not under the article on discrimination and racist abuse, which carries heavier penalties.
The disciplinary committee rejected that argument. It held that the discrimination rule does not require an explicit slur and that a neutral word can become discriminatory in context, when used as "an insult, taunt or marker of inferiority," as reported by Al Jazeera.
The judges wrote that "harsh sanctions were necessary," but took into account that it was the Spanish federation's first offence, that "preventive measures" were in place, and that its officials "cooperated fully with the match officials and the relevant authorities" once the chanting began.
The closure only applies in 2027 or 2028
The heaviest part of the punishment is also the slowest to take effect. Because Spain plays home friendlies rarely, the 15% of closed seats is unlikely to apply before June 2027 or March 2028, according to AP. FIFA left open the possibility that those seats, rather than sitting empty, go to families, students and anti-discrimination organisations.
"Using a religion as a taunt"
Lamine Yamal, the Spain winger, who is Muslim, condemned the chants at the time in an Instagram post in April. He called them disrespectful and intolerable: "Using a religion as a taunt on the field makes you look ignorant and racist."
The RFEF called the punishment disproportionate and, according to the website The New Arab, said it would take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The federation had condemned the chants and cooperated with authorities in identifying those responsible.
With information from Al Jazeera, The New Arab and Fox Sports (reporting by the Associated Press).
