Spanish actor Javier Bardem stated this Wednesday (22) that he “never said that Argentina is a xenophobic or racist country” and refuted interpretations of an interview given after the 2026 World Cup final. In a video published on social media, he said that his criticisms were directed at Argentine president Javier Milei and again condemned the country’s government’s support for Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he classified as a “war criminal”.
“What I have never said and would never say is that Argentina is a xenophobic or racist country, or anything like that. That has never come out of my mouth and it never will,” he declared.
According to the actor, his original statement was that it would be unfair to hold the Argentine national team responsible for Milei’s political positions. “Milei does not represent the vast majority of Argentines by far,” he said.
Bardem also explained that he considered it unfair that the Argentine president’s unconditional support for Netanyahu influenced part of the international crowd during the World Cup decision.
“I said that it seemed unfair to me that, due to Milei’s attitudes and the unconditional – and sometimes very proud – support he shows to someone who is a war criminal like Netanyahu, many people ended up supporting the other team,” he said.
In the interview with British journalist Mehdi Hasan, which led to the repercussion, Bardem had already stated that Milei’s support for the Israeli government had created a political environment around the decision between Argentina and Spain. At the time, the actor declared that “when a president so openly supports a person who is a war criminal like Netanyahu, people want to support the other team”, but highlighted that the Argentine president “is not the entirety of Argentina”.
Memory, truth and justice
In the video released this Wednesday, Bardem stated that some interpretations attributed statements to him that he never made. The actor took the opportunity to reaffirm his ties with the South American country.
“For Argentina, I just have a lot of affection, a lot of respect, a lot of gratitude and a lot of admiration”, he stated, citing cinema, culture, social life and personal relationships built throughout his career.
Bardem also highlighted that he considers Argentina an international reference in the policies of memory, truth and justice.
“Argentina is an inspiration for many people in my country due to the reparation process carried out to bring justice to the victims of the military dictatorship. A process that, unfortunately, did not happen in Spain. In this sense, as in many others, Argentina is an inspiration and a reference”, he said.
At the end of the recording, the actor once again stated that he decided to speak out to prevent his speech from being used against the Argentine people.
“For me it was important to make all this clear, especially what I never said and would never say, out of the respect and affection I have for the Argentine people”, he concluded.
Support for Palestine was present at the World Cup
Bardem was one of the most present personalities in the stands during the Spanish team’s campaign at the 2026 World Cup. In addition to following the team’s matches, the actor used the tournament’s visibility to defend the Palestinian people and denounce the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.
After Spain won the world title, Bardem published a tribute to the players on social media, thanking them for representing “the diversity” of the country and for defending “respect for the rights of peoples and groups that need a voice”.
The publication was accompanied by images of the title celebration and a photograph of Lamine Yamal holding a Palestinian flag during the celebration for the Spanish national league title, as well as a mural in Gaza reproducing the same scene.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
