https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Spain's King Felipe VI starred in an emotional video presentation of the Spanish national football team's squad for the 2026 World Cup in June, which for the first time in history won't include any Real Madrid players. https://www.thelocal.es/20260525/video-spain-unveils-world-cup-squad-with-help-of-king-felipe Mon, 25 May 2026 14:18:20 +0200 video-spain-unveils-world-cup-squad-with-help-of-king-felipe The world's biggest football spectacle kicks off on June 11th, but unfortunately getting to watch all the matches on TV while in Spain is going to be more complicated and expensive than ever. These are your best options and the games airing for free. https://www.thelocal.es/20260515/where-to-watch-the-2026-world-cup-on-tv-in-spain Fri, 15 May 2026 11:18:02 +0200 where-to-watch-the-2026-world-cup-on-tv-in-spain Spanish police announced Friday the arrest of a man suspected of defrauding young South Americans by promising them access to major football clubs in Spain in exchange for up to €3,000 ($3,500), only for many to end up abandoned and on the street. https://www.thelocal.es/20260410/young-south-american-footballers-scammed-and-abandoned-in-spain Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:23:25 +0200 young-south-american-footballers-scammed-and-abandoned-in-spain Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa said Friday that Spain was a tolerant country and not racist, despite Islamophobic chanting during a national team match this week. https://www.thelocal.es/20260403/spain-is-tolerant-not-racist-says-real-madrid-coach-arbeloa Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:35:16 +0200 spain-is-tolerant-not-racist-says-real-madrid-coach-arbeloa Spanish police on Wednesday said they were investigating "Islamophobic and xenophobic" chants that were heard during a Spain-Egypt international football match in Barcelona, which the Prime Minister said "tarnish" the country. https://www.thelocal.es/20260402/tarnished-spain-probes-anti-muslim-chants-at-egypt-friendly Thu, 02 Apr 2026 08:31:58 +0200 tarnished-spain-probes-anti-muslim-chants-at-egypt-friendly The national side's friendly against Egypt on Tuesday was marred by more xenophobic incidents which continue to damage the image of Spanish football, as fans booed the Egyptian national anthem and sang chants mocking Muslims. https://www.thelocal.es/20260401/islamophobic-chants-in-egypt-friendly-a-new-low-for-spanish-football Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:37:56 +0200 islamophobic-chants-in-egypt-friendly-a-new-low-for-spanish-football If you're in Spain during the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 and want to watch the England-Italy and Spain-Germany semifinals and then the final on television or online for free, here's how to do it. https://www.thelocal.es/20250718/how-to-watch-the-womens-euro-2025-tournament-on-tv-in-spain Fri, 18 Jul 2025 13:44:54 +0200 how-to-watch-the-womens-euro-2025-tournament-on-tv-in-spain Spain will bid to jointly host the 2035 women's football World Cup along with Portugal and Morocco, the Spanish football federation (RFEF) announced on Friday. https://www.thelocal.es/20250328/spain-bid-to-host-2035-womens-football-world-cup Fri, 28 Mar 2025 15:23:42 +0100 spain-bid-to-host-2035-womens-football-world-cup It's official: Spain will jointly host the 2030 World Cup, hosting an expanded tournament over six countries and three continents. Here's what we know so far, from where matches will be played to the benefits 'El Mundial' will bring. https://www.thelocal.es/20231005/spains-2030-world-cup-what-we-know-so-far Thu, 05 Oct 2023 18:30:21 +0200 spains-2030-world-cup-what-we-know-so-far Argentina football legend Diego Maradona comes to life in an immersive exhibit underway in Barcelona, featuring a hologram of the late player and a reconstruction of his childhood home. https://www.thelocal.es/20241011/diego-lives-immersive-maradona-exhibit-opens-in-barcelona Fri, 11 Oct 2024 12:48:08 +0200 diego-lives-immersive-maradona-exhibit-opens-in-barcelona The first €450 fines for internet users who stream football on 'pirate' platforms have already been sent amid a crackdown on illegal streaming in Spain. https://www.thelocal.es/20241010/why-streaming-football-on-pirate-websites-in-spain-is-now-risky Thu, 10 Oct 2024 12:53:32 +0200 why-streaming-football-on-pirate-websites-in-spain-is-now-risky Real Madrid's revamp of its historic Santiago Bernabéu stadium has become a problem for the Spanish football club, with locals protesting against noise from concerts and the permanent construction works. https://www.thelocal.es/20241009/they-tricked-us-new-stadium-gives-real-madrid-a-headache Wed, 09 Oct 2024 11:38:13 +0200 they-tricked-us-new-stadium-gives-real-madrid-a-headache Former Barcelona midfielder Andrés Iniesta, who won two European Championships and the 2010 World Cup with an all-conquering Spain team, announced his retirement from football on Tuesday at the age of 40. https://www.thelocal.es/20241008/spain-and-barca-legend-iniesta-retires-at-40 Tue, 08 Oct 2024 15:44:47 +0200 spain-and-barca-legend-iniesta-retires-at-40 A Mallorca fan who racially abused Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior and former Villarreal player Samuel Chukwueze was sentenced to a suspended year in prison and issued a three-year stadium ban on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.es/20240926/another-football-fan-in-spain-sentenced-for-racially-abusing-black-players Thu, 26 Sep 2024 18:25:45 +0200 another-football-fan-in-spain-sentenced-for-racially-abusing-black-players La Liga club Valencia said Monday they have begun disciplinary proceedings against forward Rafa Mir after he was accused of sexual assault last week. https://www.thelocal.es/20240909/valencia-take-action-against-spanish-footballer-accused-of-sexual-assault Mon, 09 Sep 2024 18:30:40 +0200 valencia-take-action-against-spanish-footballer-accused-of-sexual-assault Brazilian striker Vinicius Junior has called for Spain to be stripped of its 2030 World Cup hosting duties unless it makes progress on the issue of racism in stadiums. https://www.thelocal.es/20240905/vinicius-says-spain-should-lose-2030-world-cup-unless-racism-declines Thu, 05 Sep 2024 16:54:24 +0200 vinicius-says-spain-should-lose-2030-world-cup-unless-racism-declines Police in Spain said Tuesday they have arrested Valencia striker Rafa Mir on suspicion of sexual assault. https://www.thelocal.es/20240903/valencia-striker-rafa-mir-detained-in-spain-for-sexual-assault Tue, 03 Sep 2024 18:44:17 +0200 valencia-striker-rafa-mir-detained-in-spain-for-sexual-assault Climate activists on Tuesday spray-painted a mansion on the Spanish holiday island of Ibiza belonging to Argentina football star Lionel Messi to highlight the "responsibility of the rich for the climate crisis". https://www.thelocal.es/20240806/climate-activists-target-messis-mansion-in-spains-ibiza Tue, 06 Aug 2024 13:24:46 +0200 climate-activists-target-messis-mansion-in-spains-ibiza A Spanish court has handed down an eight-month suspended jail term to a person for online racist abuse targeting Real Madrid players Vinicius Junior and Antonio Rudiger, the club said Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.es/20240718/spain-hands-out-8-month-suspended-term-for-racist-abuse-of-vinicius-and-rudiger Thu, 18 Jul 2024 12:59:26 +0200 spain-hands-out-8-month-suspended-term-for-racist-abuse-of-vinicius-and-rudiger Days after Spain triumphed in the Euro 2024 final, the country's football federation (RFEF) suffered a new scandal as its president Pedro Rocha was handed a two-year suspension, according to media reports on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.es/20240717/spanish-football-federation-chief-handed-two-year-ban Wed, 17 Jul 2024 11:11:06 +0200 spanish-football-federation-chief-handed-two-year-ban