Mariano Rajoy, who served as Spain’s Prime Minister from 2011-2018, has sparked outrage with ‘disgraceful’ comments about the French national football team.
Spain and France will go head-to-head at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday, July 14, for their World Cup semi-final. The match promises to be a fascinating encounter, with both sides very impressive in their runs to the last four.
The victor will face either Argentina or England in the final at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, July 19.
However, the build-up to the highly-anticipated match has been marred by racist remarks made by Rajoy.
He wrote: “What will happen? It’s not easy to answer such a question. Without going into too much detail, it’s worth remembering that France has been a two-time world champion and a finalist in the last edition. They’ve won every match they’ve played in this World Cup and are currently ranked number one in the FIFA rankings.
“They also have a top-level squad. That said, they don’t have any French players. And they’re playing very well. They’ll be a formidable opponent.”
He added: “We’ve won a World Cup and the European Championship four times. More than France, who have only triumphed twice. We’re third in the FIFA rankings and have only conceded one goal in this World Cup. And there’s a lot of talent up front, so we’ll see. I have a hunch: we’re going to win. Lacking any real reasoning, it’s a feeling.”
You scored
out of 20
Rajoy Slammed by Spain’s Prime Minister
REUTERS/Annegret Hilse
Spain’s current Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn Rajoy. He wrote:
“There are those who still measure belonging by surname, place of birth, or skin color. Others measure it by our roots in a country and our will to contribute to it. Playing soccer. Caring for our elders. Or opening businesses.
“Spain belongs to those who love it and work for it. Not to those who shame it with xenophobic statements. France, we’ll see you in the semifinals. May the best one win and may racism lose.”
The French embassy in Madrid wrote: “Without wanting to get into a controversy, it is worth recalling the facts: all the players on the French national team are French. Of the 26 players, 23 were born in France. The three who were born abroad are French too.”
While Naima Moutchou, the minister of the overseas for France’s territories, also criticised Rajoy and urged the France Football Federation (FFF) to take legal action. He stated, per The Athletic: “After each France victory, the same obsessions and racist insults resurface. These are not slips. This is a methodical and normalised hatred of France and what it is.”
Manchester United have gone back to the drawing board in their bid to bolster the central midfield position after developments in recent days.
Man United looked to have tied up a deal to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson prior to the World Cup after agreeing a transfer worth less than £40m with the Serie A outfit.
Having received a late call-up to the Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup, it was expected that the 26-year-old would complete his switch to Old Trafford after the tournament.
However, doubts emerged in recent days over his medical, and Fabrizio Romano then reported at the end of last week that a deal is now off for the Brazilian to join the Red Devils.
United are on the verge of announcing the addition of Ederson’s international teammate Andrey Santos, after agreeing a deal worth £50m with Premier League rivals Chelsea for his signature.
After Romano’s update on Ederson, the club will now be looking elsewhere for an alternative, while it is suggested that a third midfielder could also be sought after Manuel Ugarte suffered a serious knee injury while representing Uruguay in north America this summer.
United have also missed out on the likes of Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes and Aurelien Tchouameni this summer, but now they are in talks with another international star.
Man United Hold Talks Over Signing Manu Kone
via Reuters
According to reports, Man United chiefs have already turned their attentions to landing AS Roma midfielder Manu Kone as an alternative to Ederson, having opened talks with his representatives over a potential switch to Old Trafford.
The Red Devils are still on the hunt for top midfield reinforcements, and it is suggested that the France international could be available for a fee similar to that of Santos, which would be significantly cheaper than some of the other midfield signings we have already seen this summer.
Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali cost Tottenham £85m and £100m respectively, while Anderson joined Manchester City for £116m.
United may see the opportunity to land Santos and Kone for the same price as Tonali as an opportunity too good to turn down.
⚽
England World Cup Quiz
You scored
out of 20
Kone Would be a Big Ederson Upgrade
via Reuters
While Ederson has been a strong enough performer for Atalanta in Serie A and in Europe, some United fans appeared underwhelmed by the potential signing of the Brazilian.
Kone may ply his trade in the same division as Ederson, but he has been a standout performer for Roma in recent seasons and would bring all of the attributes that Carrick and United want in midfield.
France have an abundance of talent throughout their squad and in midfield, but it is Kone who has stood out as one of their best performers in the position at the 2026 World Cup when he has been on the pitch.
He was outstanding in his nation’s quarter-final victory against Morocco, and has been described as ‘France’s best midfielder’ by Rio Ferdinand during the tournament, and the ‘best midfielder in France’ by Patrick Vieira.
Vieira believes he is better than Tchouameni, who was viewed as the club’s ‘dream’ Casemiro replacement this summer, according to Romano.
The French duo share an agent, but Kone is more likely to be available this summer, and he could be an exciting signing as a big upgrade on Ederson.
Football debates always make for entertaining viewing and there isn’t a bigger one than the GOAT battle between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Whatever side of the fence you sit on, there are reasonable arguments for both sides. For many, Messi’s heroics at the 2022 World Cup, firing Argentina to glory, confirmed the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner as the greatest of all-time.
That said, some continue to back Ronaldo, pointing out his success in Europe with club and country. He’s also the greatest goalscorer the sport has ever seen.
Harry Kane is arguably England’s answer to the iconic duo, moving into legendary status every time he represents his country. His opinion holds weight and that’s why the Three Lions’ all-time top goalscorer’s verdict of Messi and Ronaldo is worth assessing.
Harry Kane’s Verdict on Messi or Ronaldo
REUTERS/Eloisa Sanchez
Now that Messi and Ronaldo have left European football, other stars have stepped up and put their names forward for a Ballon d’Or win. Kane is one of them, having thrived at Bayern Munich last season and eyeing World Cup glory with England.
The former Tottenham Hotspur striker probably won’t reach the heights of Messi and Ronaldo from their iconic duel in El Clasico. But he has played against Messi and Ronaldo during his career.
Asked which player he believes was better during their prime, he told Prime Video Sport in 2022: “I’ll go with prime Messi.”
Those comments came before Messi won the World Cup with Argentina later that year. The Argentine’s peak undoubtedly came at Barcelona, where he dazzled at Camp Nou and became the Catalans’ all-time top scorer.
Messi came up against Ronaldo during his time in Catalonia and the pair waged war for nine seasons in La Liga. Both have been irreplaceable since leaving Barca and Real Madrid, and Spanish football hasn’t quite been the same.
⚽
England World Cup Quiz
You scored
out of 20
Kane Wanted to ‘Get on Ronaldo and Messi Level’
Paul Childs via Action Images via Reuters
It’s easy to just place Messi and Ronaldo in a league of their own. However, Kane’s exploits over the past year have been on a par with the numbers the pair produced at their peak.
Kane won the European Golden Boot after netting 36 goals in the Bundesliga and finished with an overall tally of 61 goals in 51 games for Bayern. It’s a ridiculous statistic that puts him above Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe.
For England’s skipper, it’s unsurprising as he previously vowed to reach Messi and Ronaldo’s level. He told Gary Neville on The Overlap back in 2021:
“I’ve still got so much more to give. I can produce better numbers than I’m producing at the moment. I’m not afraid to say, ‘I want to be the best’. I want to try and get on the level Ronaldo and Messi got to. That’s my ultimate goal – to be winning trophies season in, season out, scoring 50, 60, 70 goals season in, season out. The pressure from myself is always bigger than anything anyone else can put on me.”
The GOAT debate isn’t the only one taking hold in football today. Messi and Ronaldo’s absence from European football has made the Ballon d’Or race hard to call, and many believe Kane deserves to pick up the prestigious award.
Kane’s world-class exploits for club and country are also sparking debate over his status in the English game. Some think he is eclipsing the likes of Sir Bobby Charlton as the best player in Three Lions history.
