sports
Racist chants in Cornellà cast shadow over Spain's World Cup plans
Racist and anti government chants by large groups of supporters at the Cornellà match prompted federation apologies and a referee decision not to stop play, while FIFA will review the referee report before deciding on limited sanctions.
Apr 1st 2026 · Spain
Insights
- Hundreds of fans in Cornellà chanted racist and anti government slogans during Tuesday's match.
- The Spanish Football Federation informed the referee, condemned the chants, and apologized to Egypt's ambassador and officials.
- The referee decided not to apply the anti racism protocol and allowed play to continue.
- FIFA says it retains confidence in Spain and will act based on the referee's report.
- Any sanctions are expected to be limited to fines or partial stadium closures and not to affect World Cup hosting.