MADRID, July 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will 
attend the World Cup final to see his country take on reigning champions 
Argentina, his government said Friday.

Sanchez, a vocal critic of US President Donald Trump -- who also plans to 
attend Sunday's final in New Jersey -- will then travel to Algeria for an 
official visit, his cabinet told AFP.

Spain's King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and their two daughters will also 
attend the final, the royal palace has said.

Argentine President Javier Milei however plans to skip it, citing 
superstition.

Socialist leader Sanchez has long had tense ties with Trump, refusing to let 
the US military use Spanish bases for its war in Iran and condemning the 
American operation that ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.

Trump called Spain a "terrible partner in NATO" at an alliance summit in 
Turkey earlier this month and said the United States did not "want to do any 
trade business with Spain anymore".

Sanchez looked keen to smooth things over, telling a post-summit press 
conference that relations between the two countries were "positive".

He said he had held "an informal chat" with Trump about football during the 
summit and "there was absolutely no kind of tension".