Spain used the break in the 2026 World Cup to rest after a 0-0 draw with Cape Verde, and coach Luis de la Fuente gave the squad a day off before Sunday’s 19:00 match against Saudi Arabia. The game is an important one for Spain, the reigning European champion, as it continues its World Cup campaign.
During the free day, several players left the Hilton hotel in Tennessee, including Celta Vigo forward Borja Iglesias and his partner, María Valero. When Iglesias returned to the training camp, security personnel did not recognize him and stopped him from entering the hotel complex.
Television footage showed Iglesias trying to explain himself through the fence surrounding the hotel. “I’m on the national team. I need to get in,” he told security in English. The guards were not convinced and asked whether he had an entry pass and if he was actually a player. Fans and reporters on site also tried to clarify that he was a Spain international.
The confusion continued when staff asked for his name, and Iglesias replied, “Borja Iglesias.” Only after the 31-year-old striker used his mobile phone to contact members of the Spanish delegation was the issue resolved. The episode ended as a lighthearted anecdote ahead of a crucial match, and Iglesias, Spain’s only natural striker in the squad, has not yet played in the tournament and hopes to make his debut in Group H’s second round.
