SerpApi.Org
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen turned down an invitation to attend the World Cup final in New York/New Jersey.
The World Cup final takes place on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, where Argentina will face Spain. The defending champions clinched their place in the final with a victory over England in Atlanta, while Spain dominated France in Dallas.
The contest is set to be a politicized occasion, with United States President Donald Trump in line to hand out the trophy and be on stage while the winning team lifts it. However, while Trump will dominate the spectacle, other political leaders are avoiding the limelight. It comes as Trump added to England's World Cup misery with Harry Kane mockery.
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The World Cup Final will be attended by Trump, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and Spain’s King Felipe VI, who called head coach Luis de la Fuente after the semifinal win. But Von der Leyen has rejected the invitation.
“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.
Ahead of the all-European semifinal between France and Spain, Von der Leyen took to social media to post a photo of herself holding a football along with the caption: “Whoever wins tonight, a strong European team will be in the final!”
Earlier this week, Von der Leyen was in Kyiv to show EU support for Ukraine’s resistance against Russia. She also visited Paris for France’s Bastille Day celebrations, which took place on the same day as Spain’s 2-0 win over Les Bleus.
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Von der Leyen is mooted to meet former European Central Bank president Mario Draghi in Brussels on Monday to discuss European competitiveness.
Before Argentina’s win in 2022, EU nations — Italy, Spain, Germany, and France — won four successive World Cups between 2006 and 2018. Soccer has been one of the few industries where Europe outranks North America and Asia, and Von der Leyen has shown her support where possible, but Sunday's final may be a bridge too far.
She will not be the only political heavyweight to be absent from Sunday’s showpiece.
Javier Milei, the president of Argentina and a notable Trump ally, is also not expected to attend. Rather than attend Argentina games, he prefers to watch at home for superstitious reasons.
Milei has publicly praised star Lionel Messi but has yet to secure an audience with the great forward, who tries to steer clear of politics.
Argentina takes on Spain in the World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, July 19.
Meanwhile, Trump has floated an odd FIFA idea to have the U.S. co-host another World Cup with a major adversary.
