Spain legend begs Donald Trump to sort visa issue ahead of World Cup final

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FT Desk

Donald Trump has received a special request from one iconic Spaniard ahead of the 2026 World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

The World Cup final will be contested by Spain and Argentina, who overcame France and England, respectively, in two semi-final matches this past midweek.

To reach the final, Spain have defeated Austria, Portugal, Belgium and France in the knockout stages while Argentina have beaten Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland and then England.

Remarkably, the final will be the first time that Spain have faced Argentina in the competition since 1966.

La Roja are aiming to make it two international tournament victories on the bounce following their triumph at the European Championships in 2024, while La Albiceleste are looking to become just the third nation in history to retain the World Cup following their 2022 moment of glory in Qatar.

There will be plenty of special people in attendance such as ex-players, celebrities and of course the supporters themselves, but one man struggling to make the trip is 2010 World Cup winner Joan Capdevilla, who has reached out to Trump on social media, begging to get his ESTA approved.

"I NEED HELP @realDonaldTrump, " the former full-back wrote on X.

"They just told me that I can't travel to the final with my kids because my ESTA has been denied.

"Can anyone help me with this? You have no idea how excited I was to be there with all my 2010 teammates and this team to cheer them on.

"I can't believe they're not letting me into the USA... and that I'll miss a moment like this with my kids who love soccer so much... @educaciongob

"If anyone knows how to fix this, I'll be grateful to you for life."

Capdevilla also tagged the Spanish Ministry of Education. He was part of the Spain squad that emerged victorious in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, which marked the first time the nation had ever won the competition.

He started the final as Spain beat the Netherlands 1-0 thanks to a solitary goal from Andres Iniesta.

Visa issues have been a running theme throughout the 2026 World Cup, with thousands of supporters denied entry into North America.

There have also been officials from competing nations, such as Iran, who have not been allowed to travel, while a Somali referee set to officiate matches at the tournament was also denied a visa.

🚨 ¡NECESITO AYUDA @realDonaldTrump ! 🙏

Me acaban de decir que no puedo viajar a la final con mis hijos porque me han denegado el ESTA 😭

¿Alguien me puede ayudar con esto? No sabéis la ilusión que me hacía poder estar allí con todos mis compañeros de 2010 y con este equipo… pic.twitter.com/VH9wakzaH1

— Joan Capdevila (@capde11) July 17, 2026

Donald Trump will be in attendance

The plan is for Trump to be at the World Cup final in order to take part in the trophy presentation ceremony.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino says he'll be there alongside Trump to present the World Cup trophy to the winning nation.

“Hopefully we’ll present the trophy together in the final," he explained.

"That’s always been the plan—and that’s how it’s always been done in the past—for the president of the country hosting the final to present the trophy together with the FIFA president.”

The White House confirmed a few days later that Trump will be in attendance.

“We look forward ⁠to the final match on Sunday, ​and I know ‌the president ‌looks forward to attending,” Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Leavitt said on Thursday.

“This is a fitting conclusion to a tournament that showcased America’s ability to host the world on the grandest stage.”

Trump has yet to see a single minute of live World Cup action since the tournament started.