In the same context, another Moroccan voice is being heard in La Liga: Omar El Hilali, Espanyol and Morocco international full-back, who has faced various forms of racism.
During a match, the referee briefly stopped play after El Hilali reported racist abuse from Elche striker Rafa Mir, who allegedly mocked his immigrant roots. La Liga’s anti-racism protocol was triggered and an investigation was opened.
After the game, El Hilali told reporters he utterly condemns anti-Muslim chants in Spanish grounds, citing the Spain–Egypt match as an example and stressing that no faith should be mocked in a stadium.
He also highlighted that one of Spain’s current stars, Lamine Yamal, is a Muslim of Moroccan heritage who chose to wear the red jersey of La Roja, and that the minimum he deserves is respect, not jeers at his faith.
These testimonies—from a dark-skinned Brazilian, a young Moroccan-born striker, and a Moroccan defender plying his trade in Catalonia—paint a vivid picture that is hard to dismiss: Together, these incidents reveal persistent racism and hate speech in parts of Spanish football, tarnishing the sport’s reputation as the country prepares to host the world’s biggest tournament.