Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, is expected to be another notable absentee, as he prefers to watch at home — for superstitious reasons.
Before the France vs. Spain semifinal, von der Leyen posted a photo of herself holding a football, and noted, “Whoever wins tonight, a strong European team will be in the final!” Spain won 2-0.
Von der Leyen was in Kyiv earlier this week, showing EU support for Ukraine’s resistance against Russia, and visited Paris for France’s Bastille Day celebrations. She will meet former European Central Bank boss Mario Draghi on Monday in Brussels to discuss European competitiveness.
EU nations — Italy, Spain, Germany and France — won four straight World Cups between 2006 and 2018, before Argentina triumphed in 2022. Football has long been one of the few industries where Europe outstrips North America and Asia.