Spain punished by FIFA for Islamophobic chants during Egypt friendly

FIFA fined Spain’s football federation $20,000 and ordered a partial stadium closure for the team’s next friendly. The sanctions follow repeated Islamophobic chants by supporters at the RCDE Stadium near Barcelona during Spain’s 0-0 draw with Egypt on March 31. Spain winger Lamine Yamal condemned the chants, and FIFA rejected the federation’s argument that the word “Muslim” was not insulting, ruling that it could be discriminatory depending on the context.