Baena denies snubbing Spanish Prime Minister after World Cup triumph

Alex Baena has publicly rejected claims that he deliberately snubbed Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez during Spain’s official World Cup 2026 celebrations at the Moncloa Palace.

The Atletico Madrid midfielder had been at the centre of online debate following the national team’s visit to the seat of Spain’s government, where the squad were received by Sanchez after lifting the World Cup.

Footage and images from the reception appeared to show Baena avoiding eye contact with the Prime Minister during the formal greetings, a moment that quickly drew comparisons on social media with an incident involving former Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal in 2024.

The clip prompted a wave of reaction on X, with some users accusing the player of inappropriate behaviour while representing his country.

One user wrote: “He has every right to do what he wants, but when he is wearing the national team shirt, this behaviour is not appropriate.”

Another commented: “There are always people who lack good manners.”

Social media storm

The controversy escalated when Spanish daily La Razon shared a photo of the encounter on its social platforms, adding a caption attributed to Baena.

According to the newspaper, the Atletico Madrid player allegedly turned to his international team-mate Rodri during the visit to La Moncloa and said: “Careful, this is the Moncloa Palace, don’t forget the trophy here.”

The remark, presented as a light-hearted warning not to leave the World Cup behind at the Prime Minister’s residence, was widely picked up and discussed online, further fuelling the narrative that Baena had been disrespectful during the official ceremony.

With criticism mounting and the episode becoming a talking point around Spain’s victory celebrations, Baena chose to address the matter directly.

Baena hits back at report

Responding to La Razon’s post, Baena wrote: “الا تملكون كذبة اخرى ليقراكم الناس اليوم؟” – which translates as: “Don’t you have another lie so that people will read you today?”

By intervening personally, the Atletico Madrid midfielder issued an explicit and direct denial of the dialogue attributed to him during the visit to the headquarters of Spain’s government.

In doing so, Baena insisted that the reported comment to Rodri, and the interpretation surrounding his interaction with Sanchez, were without any factual basis.

The player’s response underlined his rejection of the narrative that he had intentionally disrespected the Prime Minister or treated the occasion at the Moncloa Palace with anything other than the appropriate decorum.

Background to the row

Spain’s trip to La Moncloa formed part of the official programme of celebrations following their World Cup 2026 triumph, with the squad making the traditional visit to meet the country’s political leaders.

While the event was intended as a formal recognition of the team’s achievement, Baena’s brief interaction with Sanchez became one of the most discussed moments of the ceremony once images were shared online.

The incident echoed the debate that followed Dani Carvajal’s conduct in 2024, when the then Real Madrid captain was also accused by some of showing a lack of respect during an encounter with political figures.

In Baena’s case, his public rebuttal of the quoted remark and his accusation that the newspaper was spreading a “lie” marked his first detailed response to the controversy, as he sought to draw a line under the speculation surrounding his behaviour at La Moncloa.