Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute as Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time in New Jersey on Sunday to claim the 2026 World Cup title. It was Spain’s second Men’s World Cup title, and their first since 2010, in the United States, with Donald Trump on the podium alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino.Before the game even started, there was already a secondary political question surrounding the final: Where would Trump place himself in football’s biggest global event? The answer came during the trophy presentation, when Spain’s players were trying to celebrate while Trump remained on the stage near the trophy, Mikel Merino caused an awkward scene by intruding on the YMCA dance, and Infantino ultimately guiding the US president away. Of course, there are worse Trump meddlings than photo bombs. Iran might agree.The moment was made all the more poignant because Spain was not just another visiting champion lifting a trophy on American soil. They are the national team for one of Trump’s most difficult European allies, whose government has clashed with Washington over Palestine, Gaza, Iran and NATO defense spending. The symbolism was then reinforced when match winner Ferran Torres wore a red hat that read “Make Spain Great Again” during the celebrations in Madrid, Spain.This joke needs context. Spain is led by the country’s Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has been in power since 2018 and whose government has adopted one of the most assertive pro-Palestinian stances in Europe. In May 2024, Spain recognized Palestine as a state, a decision Sanchez said was based on “peace, justice and coherence.” He also said he hoped Spaniards would be able to say “with their heads held high and with a clear conscience” that they were on the right side of history.Spain later moved beyond token recognition. As the war in Gaza continued, Sanchez’s government moved to solidify an arms embargo against Israel, restricting aircraft transporting military supplies to Israel from Spanish airspace, preventing ships carrying fuel for the Israeli armed forces from using Spanish ports, and banning imports from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. Washington responded sharply. A U.S. State Department spokesman said NATO member Spain may restrict U.S. operations and warned that such measures would “empower terrorists.”That’s why Spain’s World Cup victory has political significance in Gaza and the West Bank. Palestinian fans don’t embrace Spain just for its football aesthetics. They do so as Spain has become one of the few major Western countries whose government openly confronts Israel over Gaza and supports Palestinian statehood. Before the final, one Gaza fan told Al Jazeera: “I fully support Spain because they stand up for Palestine.After the final, the Palestinians celebrated Spain’s victory because they saw it as a victory for a team that recognized them.Ramin Yamal makes this connection even more obvious. In May, the Spanish teenager waved the Palestinian flag on an open-top bus during Barcelona’s La Liga championship parade. The impact of that moment went far beyond club football, as Yamal has become a symbol of modern Spain: born in Catalonia to a Moroccan father and a mother from Equatorial Guinea, raised in the working-class Roca Fonda neighborhood and now one of the faces of the national team. Sanchez defended him when Israeli officials criticized him, reportedly saying the move was another reason for him to be proud.This is where Spain’s victory makes Trump’s political imagination uncomfortable. The appeal of Trumpism revolves around borders, grievances, suspicion of immigrants, performative nationalism, and the idea that greatness must be restored from outsiders or internal enemies. World Cup champion Spain tells a different national story. Yamal, Nico Williams, Rodri, Paulo Kubasi and Ferran Torres represent a team composed of immigration, regional complexity, youth development and collective football. Ferran’s “Make Spain Great Again” hat borrows from Trump’s visual language, but the greatness it celebrates comes from a country and a team that’s very different from MAGA’s founding fantasy.
FILE – FC Barcelona player Ramin Yamal holds a Palestinian flag as he celebrates with his team on a bus after winning the La Liga title in Barcelona, Spain, May 11, 2026. (AP Photo, File)
The time is not convenient either. Trump has attacked Spain over NATO spending, calling the country “a wasteful enterprise” and a “terrible partner in NATO” after Sanchez refused to commit to Trump’s demand that the allies spend 5% of GDP on defense. Trump said, “I don’t want anything to do with Spain” and demanded: “Cut off all trade with Spain.” He is also angry at Spain’s denial of U.S. use of Spanish bases and airspace for operations related to the war with Iran. In other words, Spain enters the World Cup final not just as a rival to Argentina but as an ally who has said no to Trump for months.This game has shown how far Trump is willing to integrate politics into football. Trump urged FIFA to review the suspension after U.S. forward Folarin Balogun was sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina. FIFA postponed Balogun’s one-match ban, allowing him to play against Belgium. The American team still lost 4-1. Political pressure changed administrative outcomes but not football.Spain’s victory was therefore both a sporting triumph and a political embarrassment. Trump got the ceremony, the camera angles and the chance to stand next to the trophy. Spain got the real trophy, the winning goal, the Palestinian celebrations, the Madrid parade and the red hat that turned his own chant against him.For Trump, the ultimate image should be that of an American spectacle: the World Cup on American soil, with the president on stage and the world watching. Instead, the story ends with Spain making fun of him.
