Von der Leyen skips World Cup final as guests loom

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declined an invitation to the World Cup final in New Jersey between Spain and Argentina, citing agenda reasons. The match will be attended by U.S. President Donald Trump and Spain’s Pedro Sánchez, with Spain’s King Felipe VI also present; Argentina’s President Milei is expected to stay home for superstition. Von der Leyen has recently been active on Ukraine support and EU competitiveness talks with Mario Draghi.