US President Donald Trump and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez briefly set aside nearly two years of diplomatic tensions on Sunday as they attended Spain’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. ALSO READ: Spain crowned World Cup champions after extra-time triumph over Argentina.
The two leaders, whose relationship has been strained by disputes over defence spending, Middle East policy and military cooperation, were seated together in a heavily protected VIP box enclosed by bulletproof glass alongside a group of world leaders with sharply contrasting political views. ALSO READ: Pedro Sánchez responds to Donald Trump: ‘No to war’.
Spain’s King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Princesses Leonor and Sofía also attended the final, while FIFA president Gianni Infantino hosted the event alongside Trump. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Brazilian football legend Ronaldo were also among the prominent guests.
The public handshake between Trump and Sánchez marked the latest step in what appears to be a gradual thaw in relations following an earlier meeting in Ankara this month, where the two leaders reportedly spoke about football and golf.
Speaking to reporters after Spain secured the World Cup title, Trump dismissed suggestions of continuing friction with the Spanish leader.
‘I have no tension with him. I have no tension with anybody,’ Trump said.
The US president congratulated Spain on its victory, praising its performance.
He said he had congratulated Spanish officials on their ‘great team’, describing the final as an ‘exciting’ and ‘great event’. Asked whether he was disappointed by Argentina’s defeat, Trump replied that ‘Spain played better’, although ‘it was a very close match’.
The conciliatory remarks represented a dramatic change in tone after months of increasingly hostile exchanges between Washington and Madrid. ALSO READ: Trump brands Spain ‘terrible’ and ‘a horror show’ as he again criticises NATO allies.
At last month’s NATO summit in Ankara, Trump sharply criticised Spain for refusing to commit to the alliance’s target of spending 5% of GDP on defence and for denying US forces permission to use the military bases at Rota and Morón during the conflict with Iran. At the time, he described Spain as ‘a lost cause’, ‘a terrible partner in NATO’ and ‘a wasted cause’. ALSO READ: Spain blocks its airspace to US military flights linked to the war in Iran.
‘I don’t want anything to do with Spain. Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits,’ he said at a news conference during the summit. ‘Don’t even talk to them. They’re hopeless, bad people,’ the president said. ALSO READ: Trump says he has ordered a cutoff of US trade with ‘terrible ally’ Spain over NATO dispute.
Relations have eased in recent weeks, however, after Spain committed additional defence spending, participated in a joint NATO mission in Finland and, according to Trump, had ‘fully redeemed itself’ by significantly increasing its defence commitments. ALSO READ: From trade threats to praise: Trump changes tune as NATO agrees new defence commitments.
Sánchez has maintained that Spain has ‘more than fulfilled its obligations’ through increased military spending, while continuing to argue that NATO’s 5% target is ‘unreasonable and counterproductive’.
Differences between the two governments also extend to the war in Gaza, with Spain describing Israel’s military campaign as a genocide — a characterisation rejected by Washington.
Hours before arriving at the stadium, Sánchez adopted a conciliatory tone himself during an interview with Spanish public broadcaster RTVE, congratulating Trump on the 250th anniversary of the United States, which is being celebrated this week.
Asked whether Trump would present the World Cup trophy to the winning team, Sánchez replied: ‘What matters to me is not who presents it, but who receives it.’ ALSO READ: Trump vows to ‘cut off all trade’ with Spain over Iran stance: ‘We don’t want anything to do with Spain’.
There had initially been uncertainty over whether the Spanish prime minister would attend the final, but he ultimately travelled to New York after receiving an invitation from FIFA. Organisers said that eight Spanish ministers who had planned to attend as official representatives cancelled their trips once Sánchez confirmed his attendance.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei, despite being a close political ally of Trump, was absent from the final after saying earlier in the week that he would not travel because of a superstition. Before kick-off, Trump told Fox News that Milei was a ‘friend’ and, when asked to predict the outcome, remarked: ‘It’s hard to bet against Messi.’
The VIP section brought together leaders who often find themselves on opposite sides of major international issues, creating what observers described as a political fishbowl in which football briefly overshadowed diplomacy.
Trump’s closest ally in the box appeared to be FIFA president Infantino, who has worked closely with the White House throughout the tournament. Before kick-off, officials even brought the World Cup trophy to Trump. Breaking with tradition, which normally reserves the honour for the eventual winners, he briefly patted the trophy several times before handing it back.
Although Trump frequently says he enjoys football, he has also acknowledged that he does not fully understand the sport. His son Barron is regarded as the football enthusiast in the family and has previously posed for photographs with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during their visits to the White House.
Trump arrived at the stadium by helicopter after flying over the venue before kick-off. During the match he appeared less animated than many around him and was even seen dozing briefly at one point.
Meanwhile, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia were widely seen playing a diplomatic role throughout the evening, helping to ease the atmosphere in the VIP section while openly cheering on Spain as the national team secured its second World Cup title.
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