FIFA fines Spain $20,000 and orders partial stadium closure over anti-Muslim chants at Egypt friendly

FIFA announced today, Oct. 16, that it has fined the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) $20,000 and ordered a partial stadium closure for Spain's next home friendly. The penalty stems from anti-Muslim chants by Spanish fans during a 0-0 draw with Egypt on March 31 at the RCDE Stadium near Barcelona.

The chant was "Who doesn't jump is a Muslim." The FIFA verdict places it in the 10th and 47th minutes of the World Cup warm-up match.

What FIFA ordered

At least 15% of available seats must be closed for Spain's next home friendly, with the closure focused mainly behind the goals. With FIFA's approval, the federation can instead fill those seats with special-interest groups, such as families, students and anti-discrimination organizations.

FIFA said the verdict was confirmed in recent days by its appeals body, after an initial ruling by three disciplinary judges.

The sanction will not be served soon. The Associated Press reports Spain's next home friendly is likely in June 2027 or March 2028.

The federation's defense

The RFEF did not dispute that the chants happened. It argued that the word "Muslim" is "neither insulting nor pejorative." It also said the fans' conduct should be judged under FIFA Article 17, which covers political, ideological, religious or offensive messages, and not Article 15, which covers discrimination and racist abuse.

The disciplinary committee rejected that. It ruled that Article 15 does not require an explicit slur, and that a term can be discriminatory when used in context as "an insult, taunt, or marker of inferiority."

The committee also said the federation could not credibly call the chants harmless while justifying the activation of anti-discrimination procedures inside the stadium. That detail comes from the grounds of the decision, which FIFA published.

The RFEF had condemned the chants after the match. It has not publicly responded to the final sanction. Reuters said it contacted the federation for comment.

Credit for the federation, and a first offense

The verdict was not all one-way. FIFA's judges wrote that "harsh sanctions were necessary," but noted this was the federation's first offense. They said it reacted quickly and condemned the incident.

The judges also praised Spanish officials for putting "preventive measures" in place before the game. They said officials "cooperated fully with the match officials and the relevant authorities" and worked to identify the fans responsible.

In the stadium, the announcer issued a warning and the scoreboard showed an anti-discrimination message after the second chant. Some in attendance jeered.

Reaction to the chants

Spain winger Lamine Yamal, who is Muslim, called the chants "disrespectful and intolerable." In an April Instagram post he wrote that "using a religion as a taunt on the field makes you look ignorant and racist." The Barcelona winger was not the direct target of the abuse.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente called the chants "something intolerable." Spanish police opened an investigation the day after the match. No charges have been announced in the sources.

Egypt's football association condemned the chants as a "repugnant act of racism." It said the actions of a small group of supporters would not damage relations between the two federations.

The precedent

The fine itself is $20,000. The precedent is the committee's reading of Article 15.

Under that reading, a chant does not need an explicit slur to be punished as discrimination. FIFA looks at context and intent, meaning whether the words work as a taunt or a marker of inferiority.

The chant here used a religious identity as the punchline. Spain's federation argued that was not discrimination. FIFA's committee and appeals body said it was.

When Spain serves the sanction remains open. The date depends on the scheduling of the next home friendly, which AP puts in June 2027 or March 2028.