SPAIN: World Cup Win, Banished Borders & more – 16th July 2026

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 16th of July twenty twenty-six. A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

First up, it's big news for football fans! On Tuesday the 14th, Spain reached the twenty twenty-six FIFA World Cup final with a 2-0 victory over tournament favourites France in Dallas, USA.

Luis de la Fuente, the team coach, delivered a disciplined, controlled performance to neutralise France's attacking threat and book their place in Sunday's final against Argentina.

The defeat ends France's hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final and marks the final tournament for coach Didier Deschamps, who steps down after fourteen years.

In border news, on Wednesday the 15th, Gibraltar entered its new post-Brexit era after the border fence with Spain was officially removed, allowing free movement between the British Overseas Territory and Spain under a landmark UK-EU treaty.

The agreement, reached after four years of negotiations, avoids a hard border that threatens Gibraltar's economy, which relies on around 15,000 cross-border Spanish workers. Residents and visitors can now cross without lengthy queues at the frontier, making daily commuting, family visits and leisure travel significantly easier.

Gibraltar has effectively joined the Schengen free travel area, although travellers arriving from outside Schengen will still undergo checks at the territory's airport and port by both British and Spanish officials and comply with the EU's Entry-Exit System.

To offset the removal of the physical frontier, Gibraltar has introduced facial recognition cameras, expanded CCTV coverage and increased police, customs and Coast Guard resources.

Next, as of Sunday the 12th, the death toll from devastating wildfires in Spain's Almería province reached thirteen after a 93-year-old British woman died from severe burns sustained in the blaze.

The fires burned through much of Los Gallardos, Southern Spain, and are among the deadliest in the country’s history. More than 1,000 evacuated residents have now been allowed to return home after authorities declared that the fire was contained.

Juanma Moreno, Andalucian president, has warned that the region is experiencing an average of fifteen forest fires a day during the summer. According to the Rural Agents and the Department of Agriculture, elsewhere in the country, more than 150 wildfires have been recorded in Catalonia, making it the second-highest total for this stage of the year since twenty-ten.

Taking a look at the economy now and prices. On Wednesday the 15th, the National Statistics Institute reported that Spain's annual inflation rate remained unchanged at 3.2% in June, marking the third consecutive month at that level despite rising electricity and gas prices.

Households paid more for electricity and gas after the government ended temporary tax cuts on energy bills on the 1st of June. However, cheaper fuel helped keep overall inflation lower, as tax measures continued to reduce petrol and diesel prices for most of the month before ending at the end of June.

Meanwhile, core inflation, which excludes energy and fresh food, fell to 2.9% as prices for some tourism-related services rose more slowly. The government said its measures helped protect households from rising living costs despite pressure on global energy markets.

Meanwhile, in politics. On Wednesday the 15th, the PSOE, Socialist Party, widened its lead over the opposition Partido Popular (PP) despite recent corruption scandals, according to the latest Centre for Sociological Research poll.

The survey puts the PSOE on 33% of the vote, up 1.7 percentage points from June, while the PP fell two points to just over 25%, leaving a 7.9-point lead for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Vox, the far-right fascist party, is projected to receive the third most with 15.3%.

And that’s not all. According to the poll, just over 40% of respondents say that the country’s housing shortage is hugely important to them, followed by immigration and policies. Although Sánchez remains the preferred choice for prime minister, neither he nor PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo commands high levels of public trust.

The poll also found broad public approval of Pope Leo XIV's recent visit to Spain, with more than three-quarters of respondents viewing it positively and expressing support for his stance on immigration.

On the same day, the country was praised for its leadership in accessible tourism by the Spain4All Advisory Committee summit in Valencia, organised by the Spanish Tourist Office.

Tourism professionals, accessibility experts and disability advocates were particularly impressed with the country's investment in inclusive travel, especially in Valencia, which was recognised for its accessible beaches, transport and attractions.

The city offers adapted beach facilities, amphibious wheelchairs, assisted bathing programmes, step-free public transport and accessible cultural experiences, including support features at the famous Las Fallas festival, which usually takes place in March.

Industry representatives described Spain as setting a high standard for meeting the needs of disabled travellers, with several praising Valencia as a destination they would confidently recommend.

The country isn’t just dominating at the World Cup either this week. On Sunday the 12th, they successfully won five of the nine available medals at the inaugural FISU World University Championship Padel in Málaga, in the south.

The tournament crowned the first university world champions in women’s doubles and men’s doubles, and also introduced mixed doubles as a new competition format, widening the success of padel as a popular sport.

Italy claimed both gold and silver in the men’s doubles final, while France earned bronze in women’s doubles and silver in mixed doubles.

Next up, let’s talk about renewables. On Monday, the 13th, the Port of Valencia began testing for the country’s first offshore floating solar platform, marking a huge milestone in the national renewable energy transition.

The Paiporta platform, which was developed by BlueNewables with support from Naturgy, aims to generate 1 megawatt of electricity using bifacial solar panels that capture both direct sunlight and light reflected from the sea. In practical terms, that’s enough electricity to power around 250 average homes at the same time.

The project supports Valencia's efforts to decarbonise port operations and strengthen Spain's leadership in marine renewable energy. A pretty exciting time for the country!

In royal news, on Friday the 10th, Leonor, the Crown Princess, completed her three-year military training, becoming the first heir to the Spanish throne to undertake preparation across the army, navy and air force.

At a graduation ceremony at the General Air and Space Academy in Murcia, the twenty-year-old was promoted to junior naval officer by her father, King Felipe VI, who serves as Captain General of the country’s armed forces. The milestone marks another step in Leonor's preparation to become the country’s first reigning queen in 150 years and future commander-in-chief of the military.

The royal family remains important to many people from all regions nationally, representing itself as both a symbol of unity, constitutional stability, and tradition, and while at times being mixed up in legal action and media scrutiny.

It's almost time for one of the country’s deadliest traditions. On Wednesday the 15th, Spain's twenty twenty-six San Fermín festival in Pamplona ended with two runners losing their lives during the eighth and final bull run.

The six fighting bulls completed the 875-metre course in around two and a half minutes, highlighting the speed and danger of the now-infamous event. The most recent fatality occurred in two thousand and nine, while serious injuries remain common during the annual festival;

This year's San Fermín also marked the 100th anniversary of Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises, which helped make the Pamplona festival internationally famous.

Anddd finally…the historic twenty twenty-four DANA that caused huge damage and destruction due to flooding in the Valencia region is continuously rebuilding, and this week, El Mundo and Naturgy have shown an interesting recovery programme that's worth taking a look at.

Working with the Red Cross, the initiative is helping vulnerable families rebuild after flooding while making their homes more energy efficient. Crews are repairing damage, improving insulation, upgrading electrical systems, fitting new windows and installing energy-saving appliances.

The programme focuses on uninsured households, including families with children, older people and those facing financial hardship. In hard-hit towns like Catarroja, teams have cleared mud and debris, repaired homes and restored essential services.

To find out more about the project, check out the full article in Spanish in the show notes below.

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Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

Anything to ask or tell us, email us at info@rorshok.com.

¡Hasta la próxima!