Valencian prosecutors urge court to dismiss bribery case against Pérez Llorca over World Cup final ticket
The public prosecutor found no criminal wrongdoing in the regional leader attending the 2026 final in New York, citing an absence of causal links between the complimentary ticket and government grants.
Prosecutor petition in Case 23/26
The Public Prosecutor's Office of the Valencian Community submitted a report on 7 October 2026 to the High Court of Justice requesting the dismissal of a criminal complaint against regional president Juan Francisco Pérez Llorca. The proceedings in Case 23/26 targeted both the regional leader and communications adviser Marisa González over alleged active and improper passive bribery. The sports advocacy group Asociación Transparencia y Democracia en el Deporte, headed by Miguel Galán, filed the complaint after Pérez Llorca attended the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in New York. Prosecutors determined that the submitted claims failed to substantiate any criminal offence under Spanish law.
There are no sufficient rational indications of the commission of a criminal offence resulting from the reported facts.
Absence of criminal causation
The prosecution concluded that the complainant established no causal link between the match pass and the political office held by the regional president. Legal arguments connecting the complimentary ticket to future or existing Valencian government subsidies for the Royal Spanish Football Federation were deemed purely speculative. Prosecutors also affirmed that alleging criminal activity solely because the communications director held concurrent advisory roles was an entirely conjectural claim. The formal report therefore recommended the complete inadmission and shelving of the proceedings before the regional high court.
The allegation rests on the lack of a causal connection between the delivery of the ticket and the office of the accused, the purely speculative nature of the link between such an invitation and Generalitat subsidies or aid to the RFEF, and the conjectural nature of the complaint based exclusively on the dual role described.
Origin of the World Cup invitation
The complaint centred on Pérez Llorca's attendance at the tournament decider on 19 July 2026 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where Spain defeated Argentina. The complainant asserted that the Royal Spanish Football Federation provided complimentary access through the direct assistance of González, who served concurrently in the national federation presidency and the Valencian administration. Federation officials stated that Pérez Llorca originally requested to purchase a grandstand ticket in an individual capacity. The sporting organisation subsequently chose to invite him under institutional protocol, while the regional president paid for all personal travel and accommodation expenses from his own pocket.
- Pérez Llorca attends the FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
- The Generalitat issues a written response confirming the trip was private with zero public expenses.
- Valencian prosecutors submit a report in Case 23/26 urging the high court to archive the case.
Parliamentary requests and administrative response
Opposition deputies from PSPV-PSOE challenged the journey in the regional parliament, demanding copies of correspondence, transport receipts, and lodging records. The regional government maintained that the private journey did not cost taxpayers any money from the regional budget. Second Vice President and Minister of the Presidency José Díaz delivered a written response on 30 September 2026 denying that institutional resources were deployed.
The visit had a private character, and therefore no management or expenditure is recorded in the organisation of the institutional agenda of the Generalitat.
PSPV-PSOE announced intentions earlier in the week to take the matter to the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. The High Court of Justice now evaluates the prosecutor's recommendation as it determines whether to issue an archiving order for the complaint.
