Felipe de Borbón has witnessed the two great triumphs of the Spanish national football team. Still Prince of Asturias, he attended the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg (South Africa) where on July 19, 2010, Spain was crowned world champion, and on July 14, 2024, at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, already King, he celebrated La Roja’s victory in the Eurocup. This Saturday, together with Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor, and Infanta Sofía, the King travels to New York, wishing to share, once again, a victory of Spain that, this Sunday, faces Argentina in the final of the 26th World Cup.
Read more Twelve municipalities evacuated due to the Mierla fire in Guadalajara
Since his proclamation in 2014, the King has been present at nine matches of the Spanish Men’s National Football Team; eight times alone, and on a ninth occasion with Infanta Sofia. On most occasions, Spain has won the match, on others, in the group stage, it has drawn, and only lost the match against Russia which eliminated them from the 2018 World Cup.
FRANCISCO GOMEZ / CASA DEL REY
The first international match he attended as Felipe VI was Spain-Czech Republic held on June 13, 2016, in Toulouse (France), within the group stage of the Eurocup, in which the Spanish team won 1-0. His second time, on July 1, 2018, had a bitter taste, as Spain, although it drew the quarter-final match against Russia, ended up losing in the penalty shootout and was eliminated from the 2018 World Cup.
The King also attended, on June 4, 2021, in Madrid, a friendly between Spain and Portugal, which ended in a goalless draw, and a week later, on June 14, 2021, in Seville, he was at the first group stage match of Eurocup 2020 in which Spain drew 0-0 with Sweden.
At the Qatar World Cup, the King witnessed the 7-0 thrashing that the Spanish team inflicted on Costa Rica, within the group stage, in a match played at the new Doha stadium. In the previous World Cup, Spain fell in the round of 16 after losing to Morocco in the penalty shootout.
In Eurocup 24, held in Germany, the King cheered the Spanish team in their match against Italy played on June 20, in Gelsenkirchen, where Spain qualified first in the group stage after winning 1-0. A few weeks later, on July 14, the King, accompanied by Infanta Sofía, witnessed at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin how Spain was crowned European champion after defeating the English team 2-1.
Read more Football polyamory
Felipe VI also attended on December 2, in Madrid, the match in which the women’s team won the UEFA Women’s Nations League, after defeating Germany 3-0.
The last match of the Spanish national team the King has attended was held last June 26 in Guadalajara (Mexico) where Spain, after beating Uruguay 1-0, qualified first in the group at the 26th World Cup. The coincidence of the quarter-final and semi-final matches with institutional commitments has prevented the King from attending other matches, but, as he promised the players after the match in Guadalajara, he will be at the final this Sunday.
The Football World Cup final, which faces Spain against Argentina this Sunday, July 19, 2025, at New York New Jersey Stadium, will be the first time that the Kings, the Princess of Asturias, and Infanta Sofía officially attend a match of the Spanish Men’s National Team together. And for Letizia, the first as queen, since together with Felipe, as Princes of Asturias, they traveled to South Africa to attend the final in which Spain lifted the World Cup.
On the other hand, the Queen and Infanta Sofía traveled to Australia to cheer on the women’s football team which, on August 20, 2023, was crowned world champion after winning 1-0 against the England team, in a match played at Sydney stadium.
The Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofía, together, have attended two matches of the Spanish Women’s National Team. The first was the match between Spain and Denmark on July 16, 2022, in London, which Spain won narrowly and qualified for the quarter-finals within the European competition. Leonor and Sofía were also witnesses to the Spanish team’s defeat in the 2025 Eurocup final in which Spain lost on penalties against England in a match played in Basel (Switzerland).
Read more La Finalissima in the newsroom: analysis from the perspective of a Spaniard and an Argentine
