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After nearly two years of public tensions and failed attempts to improve relations, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and US President Donald Trump came face to face on Sunday at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey.
The two leaders were seated in the VIP section at MetLife Stadium, where Spain faced Argentina. Spain’s King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Princesses Leonor and Sofía also attended the match.
The brief encounter comes after months of friction between Washington and Madrid over defence spending. Relations have eased in recent weeks, however, after Trump said Spain had “fully redeemed itself” by agreeing to a substantial increase in its NATO defence commitments at last month’s summit in Ankara.
The shift marked a sharp contrast with Trump’s remarks during the summit, when he described Spain as a “lost cause” and threatened trade retaliation. On his return to Washington, however, he adopted a more conciliatory tone.
Sánchez has maintained that Spain has “more than fulfilled its obligations” by significantly increasing defence spending.
Hours before the meeting, Sánchez used an interview with Spanish public broadcaster RTVE to congratulate Trump on the 250th anniversary of the United States, which is being celebrated this week.
Asked whether Trump might present the World Cup trophy to the winners, the Spanish prime minister avoided speculation, saying: “What matters to me is not who presents it, but who receives it.”
While the Spanish delegation attended in full, Argentina’s President Javier Milei was absent from the VIP section after saying earlier this week he would not travel to the final because of a superstition.
Speaking to Fox News before the match, Trump described Milei as a “friend” and, when asked about the final, said: “It’s hard to bet against Messi.”
The main source of tension between the two governments remains defence spending. Spain has yet to commit to NATO’s target of spending 5% of GDP on defence, a goal championed by Washington that Sánchez has described as “unreasonable and counterproductive”.
The relationship has also been strained by differences over the war in Gaza. Spain has described Israel’s military campaign as a genocide, a characterisation rejected by the United States.
Tensions deepened further after the conflict between the United States and Iran. Madrid invoked its bilateral defence agreement with Washington to prohibit the use of the US military bases at Rota and Morón for operations linked to the conflict.