Trump and Sánchez meet at World Cup final after two years of tensions

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and U.S. President Donald Trump met Sunday at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey. The two leaders sat in the VIP section at MetLife Stadium during the match between Spain and Argentina. Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia also attended.

The meeting follows nearly two years of public friction between Washington and Madrid. Issues included defense spending and U.S. policy in the Middle East. Relations had eased after Trump stated Spain had "fully redeemed itself" by increasing NATO defense commitments at a summit in Ankara. Sánchez has said Spain has "more than fulfilled its obligations" through higher defense spending.

disagreements Spain has not committed to NATO's target of spending 5% of GDP on defense. " Differences also persist over the war in Gaza, with Spain describing Israel's campaign as a genocide while the United States rejects that characterization. Madrid also invoked its defense agreement with Washington to bar use of U.S. bases at Rota and Morón for operations tied to the U.S.-Iran conflict.

Before the match, Sánchez congratulated Trump in an RTVE interview on the 250th anniversary of the United States.