MADRID – Spain’s Pedro Sanchez and US President Donald Trump are set to meet again at the World Cup final on July 19, as strained relations between the two leaders over defence spending and the war with Iran continue to simmer.
Sanchez, the Spanish prime minister, will be in New Jersey for the game, his office said on July 17, where Trump could end up handing the trophy to the Spanish team, who play Argentina.
Trump has repeatedly criticised Spain over the government’s refusal to commit to NATO’s target of spending 5 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) on defence, making numerous threats of trade reprisals.
The latest came earlier in July at the NATO summit in Ankara when Trump told his advisers to “cut off all trade with Spain, including visits”.
The US leader later softened his tone, saying Spain had honoured the request for payments and been “very generous”, a statement which Sanchez’s government understood as a reference to Madrid complying with its agreed defence spending target of 2 per cent of GDP.
Sanchez, who also angered Trump’s administration earlier in 2026 by denying use of its military bases and airspace during the US attack on Iran, at the time said Spain sought the best possible relations with its allies.
The two leaders held an informal, friendly conversation at the summit limited to topics including the World Cup, he said.
The Spanish leader has travelled frequently to the United States during his time in office, mostly for UN General Assembly meetings in New York. He visited Washington in 2023 for bilateral meetings with former US president Joe Biden.
The Spanish royal family, including King Felipe, Queen Letizia and their daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia, have also confirmed they will attend the final. REUTERS
