Javier Bardem clarifies his position on his controversy in Argentina: "I have never said that it is a xenophobic or racist country"

Javier Bardem wanted to speak out to settle the controversy that arose after an interview granted to journalist Mehdi Hasan, in which he reflected on the political context surrounding the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina. Given the repercussions of his statements, the actor has published a video on Instagram to clarify that he never described Argentina as a "racist" or "xenophobic" country.

In his message, Bardem explains that his intention was to denounce that the Argentine national team was being judged by the political positions of President Javier Milei. "It seemed unfair to me that the Argentine national team was judged by the attitudes of the president of Argentina, Javier Milei, since Milei does not represent by any means the vast majority of Argentinians," he states.

The actor also defends that Milei's support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could influence the international perception of the Argentine team during the tournament, although he insists that this situation should not be transferred to the sports field. "What I have never said and would never say is whether Argentina is a xenophobic country. Or racist or I don't know what the hell; that has never come out of my mouth and never will," he emphasizes.

Furthermore, Bardem asserts the personal and professional bond he maintains with the South American country. The actor assures that he feels "much affection, respect, gratitude, and admiration" for Argentina and highlights both its culture and the process of reparation for the victims of the military dictatorship, which he considers an international benchmark.

To conclude, he recalls that many of the most important people in his life are Argentinian and stresses that he wanted to publish the video to deny statements that, he assures, he never made and to prevent an erroneous version of his words from continuing to spread.