As the Olympic Games get underway, Argentina’s national teams are facing a backlash from French spectators, with their football and rugby sevens teams receiving whistles and boos during their opening matches. The reaction comes after Argentina’s football team was caught chanting a racist and transphobic song about French players of African heritage after winning the Copa America.

A group of Argentinians attending the Games in Paris were unapologetic about the chant, with one fan, Javier Molinero, saying, “Please look at your own country before you judge ours. You, the French, the Europeans – you were the colonialists, and now Europe accuses us of racism.” Another fan, Simon Pacafos, insisted the song was “in good spirit” and that outsiders don’t understand Argentine culture or humor.

The incident has sparked a diplomatic row, with Argentina’s right-wing populist president, Javier Milei, removing the country’s sports minister, Julio Garro, from his post for suggesting that team captain Lionel Messi issue an apology for the chant. The move highlights the tension between Argentina and France, with some Argentinians accusing France of hypocrisy and colonialism.

Argentinians are in Paris, though their nation is now branded a pariah as the Olympic Games get underway

Argentina’s football team was whistled and booed at during their opening match in the men’s football tournament

The rugby team received a similar response when they lost against France in their sevens tie

Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, met with French president Emmanuel Macron on Friday to discuss trade, but the meeting took on added significance in light of the diplomatic row. Milei’s spokesman attempted to distance the president from vice-president Victoria Villareal’s comments, which accused France of being a “colonialist” country.

The controversy surrounding the chant has brought attention to Argentina’s race problem, with many critics arguing that the country has traditionally denied its own racism. The country’s European heritage, resulting from mass migration in the 19th and 20th centuries, has created a predominantly white population, with many Argentinians viewing themselves as distinct from the rest of Latin America.

Some in Argentina’s sports community have downplayed the incident, suggesting that the boos from French spectators were motivated by lingering bitterness over Argentina’s World Cup victory in Qatar. However, many others have condemned the chant, with one journalist describing it as “naked racism” that has embarrassed the country.

President Javier Milei (left) met French president Emmanuel Macron (right) to discuss trade on Friday morning

The incident has sparked a wider debate about racism and colonialism in Argentina, with many calling for greater awareness and education on the country’s troubled past. As the Olympic Games continue, it remains to be seen whether Argentina can redeem itself and move forward from this controversy.