Fifa has fined Spain $20,000 and ordered a partial stadium closure after chants heard during a March friendly against Egypt in Barcelona. The punishment came after supporters were heard chanting "Who doesn't jump is a Muslim" twice at RCDE Stadium, with the stadium announcer issuing a warning after the second round.
Fifa's ruling on the chant
Spain's federation argued the wording was "neither insulting nor pejorative", but Fifa's disciplinary committee rejected that defence and treated the chant as discriminatory in context, calling it "an insult, taunt, or marker of inferiority". That left the sanction in place, with the federation hit by a $20,000 fine and told to close at least 15% of available seats for its next friendly.
There is still some disagreement over when that next home game will fall. One report says the closure will apply in a specific month, while another says only that the next friendly is likely to arrive in June 2027 or March 2028. What is not disputed is the punishment itself, or that Spanish police launched an investigation the following day before Fifa opened disciplinary proceedings.
Yamal's reaction
Lamine Yamal also condemned the abuse, calling it "ignorant and racist". He said he had experienced racism repeatedly, describing indirect racism as common in football and in daily life.
Yamal's club output has remained strong at the same time. He has made 8 La Liga appearances in 2026, scored 7 and added 5 assists, and posted an 8.84 rating in the Champions League. That has nothing to do with the sanction, but it does underline that the player speaking out is doing so while still carrying a heavy club workload.
The case now sits as a simple disciplinary fact rather than a debate over wording. Spain have been fined, a section of their next friendly crowd will be shut out, and Fifa has drawn its line on the chant heard against Egypt.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
