A Spanish prosecutor has officially demanded a one-year prison sentence and a $3,400 fine for a football fan accused of racially abusing French superstar Kylian Mbappé. The deeply offensive incident, which involved the fan using derogatory terms and mimicking monkey gestures, occurred during a La Liga match in August 2025.
According to the Spanish Public Prosecutor’s office, the unnamed defendant subjected Mbappé to racist insults, specifically calling him an “ape,” after the forward scored a crucial goal against Real Oviedo. Beyond the use of offensive language, the fan also reportedly imitated the movements and sounds typically associated with monkeys, an act widely recognized as an attempt to dehumanize the French international. The match in question, played on August 25, 2025, saw Mbappé’s Real Madrid secure a commanding 3-0 victory over Real Oviedo.
This particular incident marks a somber milestone, as it is the first recorded act of racial discrimination specifically targeting Mbappé since his high-profile transfer to Real Madrid in 2024. While racist abuse directed at players has, unfortunately, become an increasingly common occurrence within Spain’s top-flight football league, La Liga, this specific case involving the globally prominent French striker has garnered significant international attention and widespread condemnation.
The ongoing issue of racism in Spanish football has frequently centered on Mbappé’s teammate, Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr., another star player for Real Madrid. Since joining the club in 2018, Vinicius Jr. has been a consistent and repeated target of discriminatory chants and actions from opposing fans. Recently, Vinicius Jr. also faced significant racial abuse during a Champions League Playoffs match against SL Benfica. In that encounter, Argentinian player Gianluca Prestianni was allegedly heard using discriminatory language after the 25-year-old Brazilian scored a goal. Furthermore, Portuguese fans at the stadium were reported to have chanted insults at Vinicius throughout much of the game, which Real Madrid ultimately won 1-0.
In response to these pervasive issues, authorities in Spain have been taking increasingly stricter action against such incidents. In a separate and unrelated case, a Real Valladolid fan was previously sentenced to jail for discriminating against Vinicius Jr. during a tournament in 2022, with the sentencing officially occurring in May 2025. Additionally, four members of an Atletico Madrid fan group were also jailed for racially discriminating against Brazilian players, with their offenses including acts such as creating offensive effigies and performing other disrespectful gestures. These legal actions underscore a growing, albeit challenging, commitment by Spanish football and judicial authorities to combat racism within the sport.
