Ursula von der Leyen Snubs Trump, Ditches World Cup Final

Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President, has flatly rejected an invitation to the World Cup final, leaving Donald Trump to present the trophy without her presence.

The final showdown occurs at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where Argentina will clash with Spain. Argentina earned their place by defeating England in Atlanta, while Spain crushed France in Dallas.

This match is set to be a political spectacle, with Trump slated to take center stage during the trophy presentation and the winning team's celebration. Yet, while Trump prepares for the limelight, key political figures like von der Leyen are opting out.

Trump will share the spotlight with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and King Felipe VI of Spain, who reached out to head coach Luis de la Fuente after Spain's semifinal victory. However, von der Leyen's absence is notable.

Paula Pinho, chief spokesperson for the European Commission, stated, "The president received an invitation to the final of the World Cup but, for agenda reasons, will not go."

Before the all-European semifinal between France and Spain, von der Leyen posted a photo of herself with a football, declaring, "Whoever wins tonight, a strong European team will be in the final!"

Earlier this week, she visited Kyiv to show EU support for Ukraine against Russia and attended France's Bastille Day celebrations, which coincided with Spain's 2-0 victory over France.

On Monday, von der Leyen is expected to meet with former European Central Bank president Mario Draghi in Brussels to discuss European competitiveness.

From 2006 to 2018, EU nations—Italy, Spain, Germany, and France—dominated the World Cup scene by winning four consecutive titles before Argentina's triumph in 2022.

Soccer remains a domain where Europe outshines North America and Asia. Von der Leyen has shown her support when possible, but attending Sunday’s final appears too challenging.

She won't be the only significant political figure absent from this high-profile event.

Javier Milei, Argentina's president and a known Trump supporter, is also expected to skip the match. He prefers to watch Argentina's games from home due to superstitious beliefs.

Milei has praised star Lionel Messi but has yet to meet him, as Messi tends to steer clear of political entanglements.

Argentina faces Spain in the World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.