Madrid Times

Spain Extends National Team Coach Luis de la Fuente’s Contract Through 2030

Luis de la Fuente will remain Spain’s men’s national football coach through the 2030 World Cup after extending a contract that had previously run until the 2028 European Championship. ([RTVE.es][21])

Spanish Transport Minister Criticises Madrid Formula One Circuit Design

Transport Minister Óscar Puente publicly criticised the new Madrid Formula One circuit after its first Spanish Grand Prix, focusing on limited overtaking opportunities and prompting responses from Madrid’s regional and municipal leaders....

Scientists Identify First Diplodocus Fossils Found Outside North America in Spain

Palaeontologists identified Diplodocus remains from a site in Teruel, eastern Spain, providing the first confirmed evidence of the dinosaur genus outside North America and new clues about Late Jurassic animal dispersal. ([EFE Noticias][...

Barcelona’s Camp Nou Selected to Host 2029 UEFA Champions League Final

UEFA selected Barcelona’s Camp Nou to stage the 2029 Champions League final, returning European club football’s showpiece match to the stadium for the first time since 1999. ([UEFA.com][18])

King Felipe VI Praises Public Servants and Volunteers Responding to Ceuta Crisis

King Felipe VI publicly recognised the work of emergency personnel, public servants and volunteers in Ceuta as authorities continue managing the consequences of the large-scale migration arrivals recorded in late July. ([El País][17])

Spain Begins Blocking Messages Sent With Unregistered Commercial Aliases to Fight Fraud

Spanish telecommunications operators must now block SMS, MMS and RCS messages using unregistered sender aliases, a nationwide anti-fraud measure designed to make impersonation of banks, companies and public bodies more difficult. ([BOE]...

Renfe Pushes Ahead With Major Renewal of Madrid Commuter Rail Fleet

Spain’s state railway operator is replacing older rolling stock across Madrid’s Cercanías network as part of a broader modernisation program aimed at increasing capacity, reliability and accessibility for hundreds of thousands of daily p...

Spanish Congress Reconsiders Sumar Plan to Bar Companies and Investment Funds From Buying Homes

Sumar returned legislation to parliament that would reserve most residential property purchases for individuals rather than companies or investment funds, reopening a politically contested debate over housing affordability and institutio...

Spanish Supreme Court Temporarily Restricts Voting Registration for Some New Citizens Under Memory Law

Spain’s Supreme Court has provisionally suspended electoral registration for some people who obtained nationality through the Democratic Memory Law unless they can establish the required link to Spanish Civil War or dictatorship-era exil...

Spanish Doctors Call Indefinite Nationwide Strike From October 28

Medical unions across Spain have agreed to begin an indefinite national strike on October 28 over proposed changes to healthcare employment rules and demands for a separate professional framework for doctors. ([EFE Noticias][7])

Spain Approves Naval Drone Interceptors and €98 Million NH90 Helicopter Support Program

The Spanish government authorised emergency procurement of two autonomous drone-interception systems for naval frigates and approved a €98 million framework to support and repair the country’s NH90 helicopter fleet. ([La Moncloa][6])

Socialist Divisions Deepen Over Spain’s Proposed Regional Financing Model

Senior Socialists in Castilla-La Mancha have signalled opposition to the government’s regional financing proposal, arguing that arrangements benefiting Catalonia could make the framework difficult for some ruling-party lawmakers to suppo...

Volkswagen Says SEAT Brand Could Be Phased Out After 2030

Volkswagen-owned SEAT says a gradual phase-out of its namesake car brand is among the options being considered beyond 2030 as electrification costs, regulation and competition reshape the European automotive industry, although no final d...

Spain Approves €13 Billion Airport Investment Plan With Limited Fee Increases Through 2031

Spain approved a five-year regulatory framework for state-controlled airport operator Aena that provides nearly €13 billion for infrastructure while limiting annual airport-charge increases to about 0.33%. ([El País][3])

Morocco Pledges to Readmit Migrants Who Entered Ceuta During July Crisis

Morocco has told European lawmakers it will readmit people who crossed irregularly into Ceuta during the mass arrivals in late July, including Moroccan nationals, unaccompanied minors and third-country citizens. ([RTVE.es][2])

Energy Shock Raises Risk of Spanish Inflation Reaching 5% by Late September

Analysts and financial institutions warn that rising global oil prices linked to conflict in the Middle East could push Spanish inflation to about 5% by the end of September, complicating the outlook for European monetary policy.

Spanish Supreme Court Rejects Puigdemont Amnesty Bid and Maintains Arrest Order

Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena rejected Carles Puigdemont’s request to apply Spain’s amnesty law to the alleged misuse of public funds, leaving the arrest order in place while awaiting further Constitutional Court guidance. ([EFE Not...

Madrid Lifts Suspension on Rayo Vallecano Stadium After Safety Review

Regional authorities returned control of the Vallecas stadium to Rayo Vallecano after emergency structural checks, allowing the club to resume hosting matches at the venue.

Mbappé Scores Twice as Real Madrid Beat Rayo Vallecano 4-1

Kylian Mbappé scored twice in Real Madrid's 4-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabéu, moving the club level with Barcelona on 12 points at the top of La Liga.

Lamine Yamal Says World Cup Triumph Makes Him Ballon d'Or Frontrunner

Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal said his role in Spain's 2026 World Cup victory should put him ahead of Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé in the race for football's Ballon d'Or award.

Unicaja Takes Top Ranking for Digital Banking Customer Satisfaction in Spain

Unicaja recorded a 30-point improvement in digital satisfaction measures and received the highest independent national rating for mobile-banking usability.

Goldman Sachs Provides €154 Million for Luxury Wellness Resort in Marbella

Investor Pelayo Cortina Koplowitz secured €154 million from Goldman Sachs for a €260 million luxury wellness project on the Costa del Sol, adding to investment in Spain's high-end tourism sector.

Tendam Profit Rises 28% as Spanish Consumer Spending Supports Retail

Fashion group Tendam, which owns brands including Cortefiel and Springfield, reported first-half net profit of €59.3 million, up 28%, amid resilient domestic consumption.

Madrid Regional President Accuses Central Government of Undermining Formula One Grand Prix

Madrid President Isabel Díaz Ayuso accused national ministers of trying to damage preparations for the upcoming Formula One race, escalating political tensions between the regional and central governments.

Spanish Electoral Board Reviews Court Limits on Voting Rights for Descendants of Exiles

Spain's electoral authorities are examining a Supreme Court ruling restricting automatic voting rights for newly naturalized descendants of Spanish exiles, with potential consequences for electoral rolls at Latin American consulates.

Catalonia Teachers Strike Disrupts Schools and Major Roads

Thousands of public-school teachers blocked key roads into Barcelona at the start of the academic year, disrupting education for more than 1.6 million students while demanding better conditions, smaller classes and increased funding.

More Than 45,000 Rally for Catalan Independence in Barcelona

More than 45,000 people joined La Diada independence demonstrations in Barcelona, adding pressure to political negotiations over Catalonia's fiscal autonomy.

FCC Construcción Wins Major Contract for Sydney Metro West

Spanish infrastructure group FCC Construcción secured a contract for the Sydney Metro West project in New South Wales, extending the international presence of Spain's civil-engineering sector.

Spain Allocates €468 Million to Upgrade Algeciras-Zaragoza Freight Railway

The Transport Ministry approved €468 million to modernize the freight corridor linking the Port of Algeciras with northern industrial centers and onward connections into France.

BlackRock Raises Cellnex Stake to 6.4% in €1.1 Billion Position

U.S. asset manager BlackRock increased its holding in Spanish telecom infrastructure company Cellnex to 6.4%, its largest stake since 2017 and a position valued at about €1.1 billion.

Spain Becomes Major European Destination for Central American Political Exiles

Human rights groups and immigration analysts report growing numbers of dissidents, journalists and opposition figures from Nicaragua, Venezuela and Guatemala relocating to Madrid.

Spain's Socialists Lose Two Points in Polling Amid Ceuta Migration Crisis

The Centre for Sociological Research reported a two-point decline in support for the governing Socialist Party as the Ceuta border crisis and related intelligence controversy weighed on public confidence.

Former Minister Irene Montero Accuses Morocco of Using Pegasus to Blackmail Sánchez

Former Equality Minister Irene Montero alleged that Morocco is using information obtained from Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's mobile phone through Pegasus spyware, intensifying controversy over Madrid's relations with Rabat.

Macron Plans State Visit to Spain for Talks on Security, Energy and EU Defence

French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Madrid at the end of September for talks with Spanish leaders on Mediterranean security, cross-border energy infrastructure and European Union defence policy.

Spain Records 58 Million International Visitors and €82 Billion in Tourism Spending

Spain welcomed 58 million international visitors in the first seven months of 2026, up nearly 5%, while spending reached €82 billion and reinforced tourism's importance to national economic growth.

Spanish Farmers Warn Drought Could Disrupt Food Supplies and Exports

Agricultural cooperatives are seeking government assistance as prolonged water shortages in Andalusia and Catalonia threaten crop yields, increase food-price pressure and disrupt exports to northern Europe.

More Than 5,000 Excess Deaths Reported in Spain After Severe Summer Heat and Wildfires

Spanish health and environmental agencies linked more than 5,000 excess deaths to extreme summer temperatures, increasing pressure on cities to strengthen protections against worsening heat risks.

Chinese Automakers Chery and CATL Expand EV and Battery Manufacturing in Spain

Chinese automotive investment is expanding through projects including the revival of Barcelona's former Nissan plant and a lithium iron phosphate battery facility in Zaragoza, increasing Spain's role in European electric-vehicle manufact...

Open Cosmos Raises €300 Million to Expand Satellite Manufacturing in Europe

Barcelona-based aerospace company Open Cosmos secured €300 million in international funding to expand production across four European plants as demand for commercial low-Earth-orbit satellites grows.

Spain Requires New Large AI Data Centres to Match Power Use With Renewable Capacity

Draft regulations from Spain's Ecological Transition Ministry would require new computing facilities above one megawatt to match their electricity consumption with newly installed renewable generation as AI-related demand rises.

Telefónica Reopens Talks With Zegona Over Potential Vodafone Spain Acquisition

Telefónica has resumed negotiations with British investment group Zegona over a possible acquisition of Vodafone Spain, sending Zegona shares more than 4% higher and raising the prospect of further consolidation in Spain's telecom market.

Spain Pledges €13.6 Billion to Upgrade Power Grid as Renewable Output Surges

The Spanish government announced €13.6 billion in grid and battery-storage investment after strong solar generation pushed electricity prices below zero for a record 681 hours this year.