FIFA Fines RFEF Over Islamophobic Chants During Spain Egypt Match

FIFA has fined the Royal Spanish Football Federation 20,000 dollars and ordered a partial stadium closure for the national team’s next home fixture following Islamophobic chanting from supporters during a March 31 friendly against Egypt at RCDE Stadium in Cornellà de Llobregat, lne.es reported.

The March Match at RCDE Stadium

The disciplinary case stems from a pre-World Cup fixture played on March 31, 2026, in Cornellà de Llobregat. Before kickoff, a section of the crowd whistled the Egyptian national anthem. Once the ball was in play, fans in that sector chanted musulmán el que no bote (whichever Muslim doesn’t jump), according to reports from rtve.es. The match referee recorded the incidents in his official match report, prompting FIFA to open an immediate disciplinary dossier against the RFEF.

Lamine Yamal, a Muslim player representing the Spanish national team, publicly expressed his dissatisfaction and rejected the chants after the match.

Appeals and Rejections at FIFA

The sanction first emerged in reports from British media outlets before FIFA formally processed the penalties. On August 4, 2026, the RFEF lodged an appeal against the disciplinary committee’s initial ruling. FIFA ultimately rejected that appeal, leaving the financial penalty and the partial stadium closure fully intact.

In addition to the fine and the partial closure of the stands for Spain’s next home fixture under FIFA jurisdiction, English outlets reported that world football’s governing body issued a formal warning to the Spanish federation. That admonition arrives as Spain prepares to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco.

The Response from the RFEF

The Spanish federation defended its handling of the incident through an official statement. The RFEF asserted that it acted immediately, diligently, and effectively from the moment officials became aware of the conduct. According to the federation, internal control mechanisms detected the chants, staff communicated with the refereeing crew right away, and federation personnel collaborated with local authorities to identify those responsible.

The RFEF maintained that its intervention stopped the chants from recurring and that the broader audience inside the stadium showed rejection of the behavior. Even so, the governing body argued that the confirmed sanction is especially severe when compared to other unpunished incidents of greater gravity. Consequently, the RFEF announced plans to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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