Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez to attend World Cup final alongside Trump

By Emily Turner — 17 July 2026 — 3 min read

Leaders to attend final amid ongoing tensions

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is scheduled to attend the World Cup final in New Jersey, where he will be joined by President Donald Trump. The two leaders are set to meet again despite continued strained relations concerning defense spending and the conflict with Iran. Trump has previously criticized Spain for its refusal to meet NATO’s defense spending target, making threats of trade reprisals. However, Trump later indicated that Spain had honored requests for payments, which Sanchez’s government interpreted as compliance with its agreed 2% of GDP defense spending target.

Earlier this year, Sanchez’s administration also drew the ire of Trump’s government by denying the use of its military bases and airspace during a U.S. attack on Iran. At that time, Sanchez stated that Spain aimed to maintain the best possible relations with its allies. The two leaders reportedly had an informal and friendly conversation at a recent summit, focusing on topics including the World Cup.

Royal attendance and trophy presentation

The Spanish royal family, including King Felipe, Queen Letizia, and their daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia, have confirmed their attendance at the final. President Trump is expected to participate in the post-match trophy ceremony, a role that has been anticipated for some time. FIFA President Gianni Infantino had previously stated that Trump would be present to hand over the trophy. Trump’s attendance follows a precedent where heads of state from host countries have participated in World Cup final ceremonies.

At the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, joined Infantino in presenting the winner’s trophy. Similarly, at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Vladimir Putin presented medals to the victorious French players. Trump also attended and participated in post-match festivities at the Club World Cup final last summer, which was also held at MetLife Stadium.

U.S. National Anthem to be played

A decision by FIFA to play the United States national anthem at Sunday’s final between Spain and Argentina has generated controversy. Typically, only the national anthems of the two competing teams are played during pre-match festivities. However, the U.S. national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” will also be performed by Jennifer Hudson.

This move is considered unusual, as the host country’s anthem is not typically played unless the host nation is one of the finalists. The United States is one of three host nations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, alongside Canada and Mexico, but there are no plans to perform the Canadian or Mexican national anthems before the match. The reasons behind FIFA’s decision to include the U.S. national anthem are not clear.

Many observers have expressed outrage, viewing it as another instance of perceived heavy-handedness by Trump and the United States in their involvement with the World Cup. One fan commented on X that such actions are characteristic of a dictatorship, noting that no other recent host country has had its national anthem sung when not participating in the final. Another individual questioned the necessity of playing the U.S. anthem, suggesting that the tournament has become overly politicized. President Trump will travel to New York City on Friday for a FIFA reception at Trump Tower in Manhattan before attending Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Source: nbcnews.com