Spain’s Pedro Sanchez and US President Donald Trump are set to meet again at Sunday’s World Cup final, as strained ​relations between the two leaders over defence spending and the ‌war with Iran continue to simmer.

Sanchez, the Spanish prime minister, will be in New Jersey for the game, his office said on Friday, where Trump could end ​up handing the trophy to the Spanish team, who play ​Argentina.

Trump has repeatedly criticised Spain over the government’s refusal to commit ⁠to NATO’s target of spending 5% of GDP on defence, making ​numerous threats of trade reprisals.

The latest came earlier this month at the ​NATO summit in Ankara when Trump told his advisers to “cut off all trade with Spain, including visits.”

The US leader later softened his tone, saying Spain had honoured the request ​for payments and been “very generous”, a statement which Sanchez’s government understood ​as a reference to Madrid complying with its agreed defence spending target of 2% ‌of GDP.

Sanchez, who also angered Trump’s administration earlier this year by denying use of its military bases and airspace during the US attack on Iran, at the time said Spain sought the best possible relations with its ​allies.

The two leaders ​held an informal, ⁠friendly conversation at the summit limited to topics including the World Cup, he said.

The Spanish leader has travelled ​frequently to the United States during his time ​in office, ⁠mostly for UN General Assembly meetings in New York. He visited Washington in 2023 for bilateral meetings with former US President Joe Biden.

The Spanish ⁠royal family, ​including King Felipe, Queen Letizia and their ​daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia, have also confirmed they will attend the final.