On Friday, FIFA said its appeals committee had upheld its punishment of Spain's football federation over fan chants at a March friendly against Egypt. During the 0-0 game near Barcelona, some Spain fans chanted "who doesn't jump is a Muslim." FIFA fined the federation $20,000 in August. It also ordered Spain to close at least 15% of the seats at its next home friendly, or fill them with groups like students and anti-discrimination organizations. That game probably won't happen until June 2027 at the earliest. The federation says it will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. In April, Catalan police opened their own investigation alongside the hate-crimes prosecutor's office.

Using "Muslim" as a Taunt Is Discrimination (FIFA's judges, Lamine Yamal)

FIFA's judges say the word became an insult once fans chanted it, and Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal called the chants racist in April.

A word doesn't have to be a slur to be discriminatory. FIFA's disciplinary judges ruled that a word that isn't a slur can still be discriminatory when people use it as "an insult, taunt, or marker of inferiority." They said "harsh sanctions were necessary." They still gave the federation credit for a first offense and for condemning the chants quickly.

Spain's own Muslim star called it racist. Lamine Yamal is a Barcelona winger and a Muslim, and he started for Spain that night. On Instagram the next day, he called the chants "disrespectful and intolerable." He said using a religion as a taunt makes the chanters look "ignorant and racist."

Spain's leaders and Egypt's football federation condemned it, too. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called it "unacceptable." Justice Minister Félix Bolaños said racist chants "shame us as a society." Egypt's football federation called it a "vile racist incident."

But the Federation Says It Did Everything Right (Spanish Football Federation)

Spain's federation says only a small group of fans chanted, and it moved fast to stop them.

Only a few sections chanted it, and only twice. The federation says 35,895 people were at the game. It says the chant came from a small group in three sections and was heard only twice. It also says the rest of the crowd whistled down fans who tried to start it again.

It says it acted fast and still got a harsh penalty. The federation says it acted "immediately, diligently and effectively." It warned fans over the loudspeakers, added security, and worked with authorities to try to identify those responsible. It calls the sanction "especially severe." It says FIFA has handled worse cases, and even repeat offenders, without automatically closing seats.

It also says FIFA used the wrong rule. The federation says the word "Muslim" isn't an insult on its own. So it argues the case belongs under FIFA's rule on offensive or religious messages. It says the discrimination rule shouldn't apply. That rule carries mandatory minimum penalties.

And Vox Says It Wasn't Even an Insult (Santiago Abascal)

Spain's far-right leader said in April that the chant wasn't an insult at all.

Spain overreacted to a football chant. Santiago Abascal leads Vox, Spain's far-right party. In April he posted that people were making a huge fuss over a chant "that isn't even an insult, just an expression of identity."

He tied the outrage to what he calls an Islamist invasion. He said the government wants Spaniards to put up with it "in obedient silence." Spain's government, national team coach Luis de la Fuente, and the football federation all condemned the chant. Abascal took the other side.

Where This Lands

FIFA's judges say a religion used as a taunt is discrimination, and that Spain's federation answers for its fans. Back in April, Yamal called the chants "ignorant and racist." The federation agrees the chant was wrong. It says the punishment is too heavy for two chants from a few sections, and it says it will appeal to sport's top court. In April, Abascal said the chant wasn't even an insult. Spain is co-hosting the 2030 World Cup. It wants to host the final, and FIFA hasn't awarded it yet.

Sources