Pablo Urdangarin de Borbón, nephew of Spain's King Felipe VI, made his A-team debut for Spain in a handball match against Sweden on Thursday evening. He was subbed in during the second half and scored two goals in the 34-30 victory. Meanwhile, Sweden's national team received a royal visit.
The match took place in Linköping on October 30, 2025, as part of preparations for the handball European Championship. Pablo Urdangarin de Borbón, 24, who plays for Granollers, was substituted into the second half for Spain. As the nephew of King Felipe VI, he draws significant international media attention. SVT commentator Pelle Bäckman exclaimed: "We can't complain about that shot" regarding Urdangarin's performance.
Urdangarin has faced insults from away fans in Spain, especially in major matches, due to his surname. He told El Mundo: "Especially in the biggest matches, I get insults and they say things about my surname," but he does not take it personally. His teammates joke about royal protocol but treat him as one of the team, as he shared with El País: "I've had some jokes about court protocol and how they should address me. But everyone treats me as one of the team."
He receives key support from his father, Iñaki Urdangarin, a FC Barcelona legend who won Olympic bronze with Spain in 1996 and 2000. "He is practically my psychologist. I call him before every match," Pablo has said. His mother, Infanta Cristina de Borbón, attended in Linköping; the couple is divorced, drawing much attention in Spanish media.
SVT Sports expert Mikaela Mässing remarked: "It was a great debut by him." Meanwhile, Sweden's handball team received a royal visit that Thursday evening, as reported by Dagens Nyheter. Spain won the match 34–30, with Urdangarin's two goals as a highlight.