Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy sparked a wave of controversy with comments described as insulting towards the French national team, ahead of the anticipated clash between 'La Roja' and 'Les Bleus' next Tuesday in the 2026 World Cup semifinal in Dallas, USA.

In an opinion piece published by the Spanish newspaper 'El Debate', the former leader of the People's Party congratulated the Spanish team on their qualification, but deviated from his analytical path to make a controversial remark about the French squad, saying that it 'has a very high level, and that without any French players', in an implicit reference to the African origins of most of the team's stars.

Rajoy had begun his analysis by praising the French team, noting their two World Cup titles and reaching the final in the previous edition, as well as topping the FIFA rankings and winning all their matches in the current tournament, before making his controversial statement.

The former prime minister highlighted the challenge awaiting the Spanish defense, the best defensive line in the tournament led by Aymeric Laporte and Pau Cubarsí, against star Kylian Mbappé who tops the scoring charts with eight goals tied with Lionel Messi, alongside French attacking strength represented by Ousmane Dembélé (5 goals) and Michael Olise (5 assists).