Article by Romeo Ene – Published on Wednesday, 01 April 2026, 18:33 / Updated on Wednesday, 01 April 2026 18:34
In the first 10 minutes of the game, several groups of Spanish supporters started chanting: “Whoever does not jump is a Muslim!“.
The gesture of the supporters caused a scandal of proportions in Spain, taking into account the fact that among the national players there are also Muslim footballers, and one of them is Lamine Yamal, who spoke out on the subject.
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On Wednesday, the young Barcelona striker decided to take a stand on the matter.
“I'm Muslim, alhamdulillah (Praise be to God),” Lamine Yamal wrote on social media in response to chants at the end of the first half.
The player continued his speech: “Yesterday, in the stadium, I heard chanting “who doesn't jump is a Muslim”. I know it was directed at the opposing team and not directly related to me, but as a Muslim I find this disrespectful and intolerable.
I understand that not all supporters are the same, but for those who chant such things, using a religion as a joke in a stadium makes you look ignorant and racist.
Football should be lived and celebrated, not used to disparage people for who they are or what they believe. That being said, thank you to everyone who came out to support us. See you at the World Cup.”
El reprobable cántico en las gradas: “Musulmán el que no bote es” 🤯 pic.twitter.com/qv9XwiiIBd
— MARCA (@marca) March 31, 2026
Catalan police have already opened an investigation into the incident, which has damaged Spain's image and will most likely also attract a sanction from FIFA in the coming weeks.
And we as players were shocked by the chants. We do not agree with any kind of racist chanting. We didn't expect that.
We must all work together to prevent such incidents in stadiums.
– Pedramthe Barcelona midfielder
