Sánchez to attend World Cup final alongside Trump at MetLife Stadium

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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will travel to the U.S. on Sunday to watch Spain face Argentina in the FIFA Men’s World Cup final.

A spokesperson for the Spanish government confirmed that Sánchez will be at the match, after the Spanish royal family announced they would be watching from a VIP box at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. U.S. President Donald Trump will also attend, setting up a potentially awkward encounter with one of his most outspoken European critics .

Tensions between Madrid and Washington have escalated in recent months. Sánchez, the socialist prime minister, has sharply criticized Trump’s foreign policy tactics, particularly the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, denying Washington use of joint airbases for the conflict.

Sánchez’s government has also refused to raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP, a target other NATO allies adopted last year at Trump’s urging. During July’s NATO summit in Ankara, the U.S. president briefly threatened to cut off all trade with Spain, calling the country “a wasted cause.” He appeared to walk back the warning a day later.

Emphasizing the brevity of the World Cup visit, the spokesperson additionally told POLITICO that it was highly unlikely that Sánchez would hold bilateral meetings with U.S. officials on the sidelines of the match.

Sánchez’s attendance at the final had been in doubt because of a trip to Algeria scheduled the following day, but the spokesperson confirmed that the prime minister would depart following the match. He already skipped Tuesday’s semifinal against France to attend Bastille Day celebrations and meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

Argentine President Javier Milei, whose national team will face Spain in the final, will be absent from the game because of superstition. The Spanish prime minister has poor relations with Milei , who has publicly attacked both Sánchez and his wife on multiple occasions.