Lamine Yamal was disgusted by what he heard from the stands

Barcelona—Spain’s final World Cup rehearsal ended with whistles of a different kind echoing around RCDE Stadium, and teenage winger Lamine Yamal left the pitch more disturbed than elated. Moments after the final whistle of Tuesday’s friendly against Egypt, chants of “quien no salta es un musulmán” (“whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim”) rolled down from sections of the home support, targeting the predominantly Muslim Egyptian squad with an Islamophobic taunt that has no place in modern football.

Yamal, a practicing Muslim, heard every syllable. “I am Muslim,” he wrote on Instagram late Tuesday night. “The chant … was directed at the rival team and wasn’t something personal against me, but as a Muslim person it doesn’t stop being disrespectful and something intolerable.”

The 17-year-old urged supporters to remember that “football is to be enjoyed and encouraged, not to disrespect people for who they are or what they believe in,” adding that those who use religion as mockery “leave themselves looking ignorant and racist.”

The incident is the latest stain on Spanish football’s reputation. In recent seasons, Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has been subjected to repeated racist abuse during La Liga fixtures. A 2022 case involving chants from Rayo Vallecano fans culminated this year in five individuals receiving suspended prison sentences—the first time Spanish courts classified stadium racism as a hate crime.

Vinicius quickly signaled solidarity with Yamal, liking the youngster’s social-media statement within minutes of its posting.

Local police have opened an investigation into the xenophobic nature of the chanting, which continued despite stadium screens flashing reminders that such behavior constitutes a criminal offence. Spain’s justice minister, Félix Bolaños, condemned the slurs on X, writing: “Racist insults and chants shame us as a society. The far right will not leave any space free of their hatred, and those who remain silent today will be complicit.”

Spanish football now faces another reckoning. For Yamal, the message is simple: support your team, celebrate the game, and leave prejudice at the turnstiles.