Spain Picks 3 Catalan Players Despite Separatist Flag Furor Before Belgium Quarter-Final
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jul 10
Spain Picks 3 Catalan Players Despite Separatist Flag Furor Before Belgium Quarter-Final
1 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jul 10
Summary
Eric García, Dani Olmo and Joan García were kept in Spain’s World Cup squad despite conservative criticism after they were photographed waving Catalan independence flags during Barcelona’s May title celebrations.
Friday’s quarter-final against Belgium arrives without the broader separatist drama that once engulfed Spain’s national team, even though nine squad members were born or raised in Catalonia, including Barça star Lamine Yamal.
That calmer backdrop reflects a wider political shift since the 2017 independence referendum: Catalan nationalism has lost momentum, and nationalist parties lost their regional majority in 2024 for the first time since 1984.
Gerard Piqué’s experience shows the contrast—after backing Catalans’ right to vote in 2017, he was abused before the 2018 World Cup and retired from Spain duty after that tournament.