U.S. President Donald Trump and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will be there. The European Commission chief won’t.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen rejected an invitation to the FIFA Men’s World Cup final on Sunday, which will feature EU nation Spain taking on Argentina.
The two sides will clash in New Jersey on Sunday afternoon U.S. time, and the showpiece fixture will be attended by U.S. President Donald Trump, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Spain’s King Felipe VI.
But the Commission chief won’t be there, despite the potential for informal face time with Trump. “The president received an invitation to the final of the World Cup but for agenda reasons will not go,” Paula Pinho, chief spokesperson of the European Commission, told POLITICO.
Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, is expected to be another notable absentee, as he prefers to watch at home — for superstitious reasons.
Before the France vs. Spain semifinal, von der Leyen posted a photo of herself holding a football, and noted, “Whoever wins tonight, a strong European team will be in the final!” Spain won 2-0.
Von der Leyen was in Kyiv earlier this week, showing EU support for Ukraine’s resistance against Russia, and visited Paris for France’s Bastille Day celebrations. She will meet former European Central Bank boss Mario Draghi on Monday in Brussels to discuss European competitiveness.
EU nations — Italy, Spain, Germany and France — won four straight World Cups between 2006 and 2018, before Argentina triumphed in 2022. Football has long been one of the few industries where Europe outstrips North America and Asia.