The penalty on Lamine Yamal seen from the residence of the French ambassador in Madrid

MadridThe invitation from the French embassy to the national celebration of July 14 in Madrid already included watching the World Cup semi-final in the program. What they didn't know a month ago when they sent it was that the match would be between France and Spain. And even less so that it would be the same week that a former Spanish government president – Mariano Rajoy i Brey – would make a racist comment about the French players. This has undoubtedly been one of the most discussed topics this Tuesday at the small palace on Calle Serrano 124 in Madrid, where the ambassador, Kareen Rispal, resides, and where the commemoration of the storming of the Bastille has been celebrated with hundreds of guests in the Spanish capital.

In fact, it has also been one of the topics in Paris, as the Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez, took advantage of his presence at the military parade on the Champs-Élysées to apologize for Rajoy's comment: "I feel very ashamed." An apology that, five days after the article in El Debate has not yet been made by the former PP leader, although this evening at the embassy there was indeed someone who assumed that Rajoy might do so soon in another article. It has not been so.

The first goal, without hiding

Before the match begins, Ambassador Kareen Rispal gives a speech celebrating the "friendship" with Spain and defining it as a key partner in the EU in the face of "challenges," especially in terms of security, globally. At this point, no one in the audience can drink alcohol yet, as by protocol the champagne will not be served until after Rispal's speech and the performance of the respective anthems.

Rajoy's is not the only controversial issue looming between France and the PP at the event, as the popular party is at war with the friendship treaty that Sánchez agreed with Macron, which has already been ratified by Congress and is now stuck because the Senate has taken it to the Constitutional Court because the Senate has taken it to the Constitutional Court. The embassy acknowledges that they do not want to get involved in internal political matters and maintain caution, while the PSOE openly points out the PP's intention to punish Pedro Sánchez by any means necessary.

The feeling of seeing Spain-France in literally French territory, but in Madrid, is frankly strange. A veteran of the National Police admits this while queuing very long to get a taste of French cheeses. At first, few attendees – including ministers Fernando Grande-Marlaska and Ana Redondo – are paying attention to the football, but as the match progresses, people pay more attention to the game. The first shouts from the French are heard when their team approaches the opposing goal. "I don't know if there are more or fewer of them, but they hold back less...", a group supporting Spain converses. A comment that will be rendered obsolete a few minutes later with the foul on Lamine Yamal and the penalty. Gooooool! Gooooool! Much euphoria and little restraint, even though they are literally in enemy territory.