Spain heads to World Cup with its image battered by cases of racism, sexism and xenophobia

First came the racist abuse against Vinícius Júnior.

Then the unwanted kiss by the nation’s top soccer official.

And now Spain is dealing with the fallout of anti-Muslim chants during a friendly match against Egypt.

Spain’s soccer image has been tarnished by incidents involving racism, sexism and xenophobia despite success on the pitch for both its men’s and women’s teams.

As the World Cup approaches there are concerns about whether meaningful cultural change is happening in Spanish soccer.

The nation will head for the tournament as one of the candidates for the coveted trophy, but it will also be under scrutiny as a country fighting to improve its image.