In Spain, Borja Iglesias, the Spain international striker for Celta Vigo, has turned his manicure into a symbol of the fight against racism, a move that earned him… homophobic insults. Painted nails are therefore becoming a rallying sign against all discrimination.
“There’s no room for faggots in football!” On Monday, January 12, the chant echoed after the match between Sevilla FC and Real Club Celta de Vigo, in the Spanish first division, shouted by Sevilla supporters. What sparked this outburst of homophobia: the nails painted in black by Borja Iglesias, the Galician club’s striker (and also the number 9 of the national team), a gesture he has regularly worn on the pitches since the emergence in 2020 of the Black Lives Matter movement, as a sign of support in the fight against racism. But the Andalusian fans whose team had just lost, crudely conforming to the stereotypes of homophobic and low-brow football supporters, did not understand the message.
At the exit from the Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium, Borja Iglesias was expected to be heavily abused with homophobic insults. Sharing a video of the boos, the 33-year-old footballer commented with irony: “How rare, this has never happened in football.”
Qué raro, si esto en el fútbol no pasa nunca. https://t.co/bBMvhrXFbX
— Borja Iglesias (@BorjaIglesias9) January 12, 2026
Borja Iglesias, a repeat ally
This isn’t the first time the Spanish international has spoken out against homophobia: in 2023, he had already staged, in a video shared on social media, his “heterosexual coming out” to question the football world on homophobia.
@pandachurches In 2022 the number of assaults against sexual orientation has increased by 70%. They don’t assault me for being heterosexual. That’s why, more than ever, #muchoorgullo ♬ original sound – Borja Iglesias Quintás
Following the Seville incident, his remark was echoed by the account of the national league, La Liga, accompanied by this message: “There is no place for homophobia in our football. La Liga denounces all types of hate.”
En nuestro fútbol, no hay lugar para la homofobia.
Desde LALIGA denunciamos cualquier tipo de odio.#LALIGAVSHOMOFOBIA https://t.co/0NmW6sIhtt pic.twitter.com/256DXfezA3
— LALIGA (@LaLiga) January 13, 2026
It was then the Galician club’s turn to tweet its support for its player and his convictions: “Respect is non-negotiable. Hate has no place in football. Proud of you, on and off the pitch.”
El respeto no se negocia.
El odio no tiene cabida en el fútbol.Orgullosos de ti, dentro y fuera del terreno de juego.#LALIGAVSODIO ⋄ @BorjaIglesias9 pic.twitter.com/rnzYuggS7k
— Celta (@RCCelta) January 13, 2026
Let the nail polish go in the stadiums!
Three days after the incident, RC Celta de Vigo shared a call to supporters asking them to paint their nails in support of Borja Iglesias at the next match. On January 18, facing Madrid club Rayo Vallecano, all the striker’s teammates wore light blue nail polish, the club’s color, and some wore panda drawings in reference to Iglesias’ nickname.
Pois nós este domingo vamos a ir coa manicura feita e as uñas pintadiñas 💅. Quen se apunta? https://t.co/DISk3sykDi
— Carcamäns Celestes (@CarcamansCeles) January 14, 2026
Even the president of Celta de Vigo weighed in, posting on Instagram a video taken at her nail technician’s salon and subtitled: “We take care of our own. Congratulations to Borja Iglesias.”
View this post on Instagram
In the stands, supporters brought their nail polish to paint their nails, creating a moment of solidarity around a simple message: “Against hate, all together.”
XUNTOS contra a homofobia e calquera tipo de discriminación.
📺 Inside completo do #CeltaRayo na nosa canle de YouTube (21:00h) pic.twitter.com/tAk6TxBVIs
— Celta (@RCCelta) January 20, 2026
Is nail polish set to become a symbol in the fight against discrimination in stadiums? Football would indeed benefit if such a movement inspired others…
VITORIA 💅 pic.twitter.com/EDFytF04Un
— Celta (@RCCelta) January 18, 2026
