French government denounces Mariano Rajoy's 'racist' comments about Les Bleus
French government spokesperson Maud Bregeon condemned former Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy's remarks about the France squad, calling them 'racist' ahead of the 2026 World Cup semi-final.
L'équipe de France emmenée par Kylian Mbappé, son capitaine. (S. Mantey/L'Équipe)
French government spokesperson Maud Bregeon has issued a sharp condemnation of former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on the eve of the 2026 World Cup semi-final between France and Spain.
The controversy stems from Rajoy's comments claiming that while the French squad is of a "very high level," it contains "no French people." Speaking on RTL, Bregeon did not mince her words: "These comments are abject and demonstrate a great ignorance of the history of France, of what France is, and of the pride of the French people regarding their national team." She added: "It is obviously racism."
Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation, echoed these sentiments on social media, condemning the "intolerable hints of racism." This incident follows a recent controversy where Kylian Mbappé was the target of racist insults from a Paraguayan senator after France's round-of-16 victory.