Remarks by former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy about the migrant backgrounds of players in France's national football team have sparked a political row ahead of the countries' World Cup semifinal.
Rajoy, who served as Spain's prime minister from 2011 to 2018, made the comments in a column published by the Spanish newspaper El Debate after Spain advanced to the semifinals.
Referring to France's footballing record and its position at the top of the FIFA rankings, Rajoy described the squad as "a top-level team, even though it is not made up of Frenchmen," apparently referring to the family origins of several players.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the remarks as "absolutely unacceptable," BFM television reported.
"It does not reflect France's true identity at all," Nunez said. "France is a country of diversity, where everyone can thrive and find their place."
Nunez said he regretted that such comments could fuel racist attacks against French national team players, particularly captain Kylian Mbappe.
Aurore Berge, France's minister responsible for gender equality and combating discrimination, also condemned the remarks through US social media company X.
"Racist slips are unacceptable," Berge said. "The French national team reflects the best of us."
She said the squad represented "a France that wins, dares, plays as a team and stands tall in the face of adversity."
French Overseas Territories Minister Naim Moutchou said Rajoy's remarks should not be dismissed as a verbal slip.
"This is systematic and normalized hatred toward France and the values it represents," Moutchou said, calling for "all possible legal action" over the comments.
The French Embassy in Spain also stressed that every member of the national team is a French citizen.
"It is useful to recall the facts, without seeking to create any controversy: All the players on the French national team are French," the embassy said.
The embassy said 23 of the 26 players were born in France, while the remaining three, though born abroad, are also French citizens.
Rajoy's remarks also drew criticism in Spain.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said some people still judged a person's sense of belonging by their surname, birthplace or skin color.
"Others measure it by their roots in a country and their willingness to contribute to it, whether by playing football, caring for our elderly or starting a business," Sanchez said on X.
"Spain belongs to those who love it and work for it, not to those who shame it with xenophobic rhetoric," he said.
Addressing France before the semifinal, Sanchez added: "See you in the semifinal. May the best team win, and may racism lose."
Spain and France are scheduled to meet in the World Cup semifinal on July 14.
