The White House confirmed that Donald Trump will be present at the World Cup final this Sunday, where Spain will face Argentina. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt made the announcement on Thursday.
“We look forward to the final match on Sunday, and I know the president looks forward to attending,” Leavitt stated. She emphasized that this event marks a significant conclusion to a tournament that has highlighted America’s capacity to host global events at an extraordinary level.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino mentioned that Trump will present the World Cup trophy to the champions at New Jersey’s New York Stadium. Infantino reiterated this plan during an interview with Swiss media outlet Blue Sport earlier this week.
“This is a fitting conclusion to a tournament that showcased America’s ability to host the world on the grandest stage.” Infantino expressed. “Yes, hopefully we’ll present the trophy together in the final,”
During the previous World Cup finals, notable leaders have participated in trophy presentations. For instance, at the 2022 final, Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, awarded the trophy to Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates, while Vladimir Putin presented it to Kylian Mbappé and the French team after their victory at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Trump was a prominent figure at last summer’s Club World Cup final held at the same East Rutherford venue, where he awarded the trophy to Chelsea, an act that elicited boos from the audience.
Although Trump has not yet attended any matches in this World Cup, his influence remains strong. He has maintained a close relationship with Infantino and even contacted him to advocate for a review of USA star Folarin Balogun’s controversial red-card suspension prior to their round of 16 match. FIFA ultimately reversed Balogun’s ban, although the political drama surrounding the incident overshadowed the U.S. team’s performance, which concluded with a disappointing loss to Belgium.
Since his reelection, Trump has made various appearances at sporting events, including last year’s Super Bowl, the U.S. Open tennis tournament, the Daytona 500, and the Ryder Cup. This year, he has attended multiple golf events, the college football national championship, and Game 3 of the NBA finals, where he also faced boos from the home crowd of the New York Knicks.
Leavitt informed reporters that she was unsure which team Trump would be supporting during the final. “That’s always been the plan, and that’s how it’s always been done in the past – the president of the country where the final is held presents the trophy together with the Fifa president.” she added.
Additionally, Leavitt announced that Trump will attend a FIFA reception at Trump Tower in New York City on Friday. FIFA established an office in the building last year.
- World Cup 2026
- World Cup
- FIFA
- Gianni Infantino
- Donald Trump
