Sánchez-Trump face to face: Spanish Prime Minister confirms he will attend the World Cup Final
The government finally announced that the Socialist leader will be in attendance; he will share the box with Trump, who had already confirmed he would be at MetLife Stadium. Javier Milei will be notably absent.
Pedro Sánchez and Donald Trump at a meeting in October 2025
The Spanish government has finally put the speculation to rest: Pedro Sánchez will attend the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey next Sunday. The Socialist, known for his public disagreements with Donald Trump, will be seated alongside the U.S. president in the VIP box. The notable absentee will be Javier Milei, who declined to attend in order to follow his ritual from Los Olivos: "It's a superstition."
The main challenge in coordinating the Spanish prime minister's schedule was the official visit to Algeria scheduled for Monday, which is crucial for relations between the two countries. Ultimately, the government announced that Sánchez will travel directly to the African country from the United States.
Spain will also be represented by King Felipe VI, who had already confirmed his attendance at the event. Joining him will be Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor, and Infanta Sofía
Milei's categorical refusal to break with his good-luck rituals
- Spain's efforts contrast with Javier Milei's absolute refusal to abandon his good-luck rituals and travel to attend the event in person.
"I'm watching the games from Olivos just like I did on the first day. It's a superstition," the president explained. Milei described his unique ritual in detail, which includes watching the game while wearing a jacket from the state-owned oil company YPF and keeping the heat turned off:
"Since it was cold and I don't turn on the heat, I wore a jacket from the oil company. On the day against Switzerland, I got really hot. When I took it off, they scored a goal against us. I put it back on and didn't take it off again."
Who will Donald Trump side with?
When asked by reporters whether the president might prefer Argentina—led by his close political ally, Javier Milei—over Spain, led by the wayward socialist Pedro Sánchez, Leavitt regretted not having anticipated the answer: "That's a very good question, and I regret not having asked the president that before coming here."
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