Source: Politics
There’s been no shortage of top political figures attending World Cup matches to cheer on their home teams, but when Spain faces off against France in the tournament’s semifinals in Dallas today, neither the country’s head of state nor its head of government will be in the stands.
Spanish King Felipe VI traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico, to witness the national team’s triumph over Uruguay last month but has been unable to attend the subsequent matches against Austria, Portugal and Belgium due to his packed royal agenda, which will also block him from being present at Tuesday’s match. Shortly before the players take the field, the royal family is due to preside over the annual Princess of Girona Awards ceremony in Barcelona, during which they will recognize the achievements of young Spanish and Latin American artists, researchers and social workers.
The absences aren’t representative of the king’s commitment to Spanish football: The monarch is a keen supporter of the national team, and underscored his support in May, when he appeared in the video unveiling the players selected to represent the country in the World Cup. Following the match in Mexico last month, Felipe VI took the unusual step of joining the players in the locker room to personally congratulate them for their victory against Uruguay.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will also miss the match.
The head of Spain’s government has been invited to attend the Bastille Day celebrations in Paris, which will also keep French President Emmanuel Macron away from the game. Sánchez is expected to return home afterward to focus on the response to the devastating wildfires in which dozens of people have died near Spain’s Mediterranean coast.
If Spain makes it to the final, the royal family is expected to be on hand to cheer the national team on, just as it did when its players won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
But it’s unclear if Sánchez intends to travel. Although the prime minister has repeatedly expressed his support for Spain’s players, he has not committed to attend the tournament. That stance isn’t unusual: Spain’s prime ministers traditionally celebrate the country’s victorious athletes once sporting events have concluded and they’re back in Madrid.
Read MorePolitics, World Cup, Spain, France, King Filipe VI, Pedro Sanchez