Spain striker Borja Iglesias has stated he wants to 'forget' his handshake with United States President Donald Trump if his team defeats Argentina in the World Cup final. The match is scheduled at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where Trump will present the trophy alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Iglesias on the handshake dilemma
In an interview with Revista Panenka ahead of the final, Iglesias was asked about the potential handshake. 'Yeah, look, I don’t want to go to jail, you know?' he replied with a smile. 'So it’s something I’ve thought about, something I’ve even imagined. I hope to greet him at a time when we’re all very happy and that it passes very quickly and I forget about it.'
Iglesias added, 'Sometimes you have to forget moments you’ve lived, too. Let’s see, I don’t think this is the time to create controversy. People know perfectly well what my opinion is. I would love to do many things, but the reality is that even though people think I’m all-powerful, I don’t have that much power to confront certain things. It’s complicated, really.'
Iglesias' World Cup role
The Celta Vigo forward has made only one appearance at the tournament, coming on as a late substitute in the 1-0 victory over Portugal in the round of 16.
Trump's criticism of Spain
Trump recently described Spain as a 'wasted cause' and claimed the US no longer wants trade deals with the European nation. 'Spain is a terrible partner in NATO,' Trump said. 'They don’t participate. They don’t pay. I don’t want anything to do with Spain. Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits. Don’t even talk to them. They’re hopeless, bad people. There are a couple of others, but in particular Spain.'
