Atletico Madrid midfielder Alex Baena has publicly denied snubbing Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez during Spain’s 2026 World Cup celebrations, rejecting claims he made a disrespectful remark at the official reception in Madrid.
Baena had been at the centre of online debate after Spain’s World Cup-winning squad visited La Moncloa, the official residence and workplace of the Spanish prime minister, as part of the national team’s victory celebrations.
Footage and images from the event showed Baena apparently avoiding eye contact with Sanchez 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 circulated widely on X, where users questioned Baena’s behaviour while he was wearing the Spain shirt. One post read: “He has the right to do whatever he wants, but while wearing the national team shirt this behaviour is inappropriate.” Another user added: “There are always people who lack good manners.”
Social media storm over alleged remark
The controversy intensified when Spanish newspaper La Razon shared a photo of Baena and Manchester City midfielder Rodri at La Moncloa on its social accounts, accompanied by the caption: “Careful, this is La Moncloa Palace, don’t forget the trophy here.”
La Razon claimed those words had been spoken by the Atletico Madrid player to his international team-mate during the visit to the prime minister’s official residence.
As the image and the reported remark spread across platforms, the incident was picked up widely by users who interpreted the phrase as a pointed or irreverent comment in the setting of a formal state reception.
Baena responds directly
Following the growing online backlash and repeated sharing of the alleged quote, Baena chose to respond in person, breaking his silence on the matter.
Commenting directly under La Razon’s post, the Spain international wrote: “الا تملكون كذبة اخرى ليقراكم الناس اليوم؟” – which translates as: “Don’t you have another lie so people will read you today?”
With that short message, consisting of just seven words in Arabic, Baena issued a clear and direct denial that he had uttered the phrase attributed to him.
By publicly challenging the report, Baena insisted that the comments linked to him during the squad’s visit to the seat of the Spanish government were fabricated and had no basis in fact.
No further statement has been issued by Baena, Atletico Madrid, La Razon or the office of the prime minister, but the player’s intervention appears aimed at drawing a line under a controversy that emerged from Spain’s triumphant 2026 World Cup celebrations.
