Forget the pitch rivalry between Lionel Messi and Rodri, or the tactical battle between Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente and Argentinian coach Lionel Scaloni.
Let's take a moment to see what would happen to United States President Donald Trump and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez if they were both present at the stadium to watch the 2026 World Cup final match in East Rutherford, United States.
The White House has confirmed that Trump will attend the 2026 World Cup final.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has also confirmed that Trump will hand over the World Cup trophy to the winner of the final match at New Jersey's New York Stadium.
"Yes, hopefully we can all win the trophy together in the final," Infantino told Swiss media outlet Blue Sport this week.
Pedro Sanchez has also stated that he will attend, along with members of the Spanish royal family.
They will likely sit alongside Infantino and Trump in the VVIP stands.
This is a scenario that would leave Trump in a bind.
Perhaps he never imagined sitting side by side with a leader he considered a passing fad because he often disagreed with the United States.
During the era of these two leaders, relations between the United States and Spain became tense and conflicting, particularly regarding Palestine. Sanchez supported Palestine, while Trump was a staunch supporter of Israel.
Socialist Sanchez has frequently criticized Trump's foreign policy, particularly the US-Israel war on Iran. He rejected Trump's demand that Spanish territory be used as a base and transit point for attacks on Iran.
The Sanchez government also rejected Trump's call to increase the defense budget to 5 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), even though most other NATO countries had complied with Trump's request.
Spain's stubborn attitude has even led Trump to threaten to cut off trade relations with Spain, deeming it futile to have relations with this country on the Iberian Peninsula.
Because of all these political dynamics, it is unique for Sanchez and Trump to sit side by side, especially since in various multilateral meetings the two leaders often do not greet each other and do not pay attention to each other.
