Donald Trump to attend Spain-Argentina World Cup final and present trophy
Trump has previously presented a major football trophy at the same stadium
The political and sporting worlds will come together on Sunday when US President Donald Trump attends the highly anticipated World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Trump’s attendance on Thursday, as quoted by the Guardian.
“We look forward to the final match on Sunday, and I know the president looks forward to attending,” Leavitt said. “This is a fitting conclusion to a tournament that showcased America’s ability to host the world on the grandest stage.”
Trump expected to join trophy presentation
Trump is also expected to take part in the trophy presentation following the final. FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently confirmed that he plans to present the trophy alongside Trump at New Jersey New York Stadium, in keeping with the tradition of the leader of the host country joining the FIFA president for the ceremony.
“Yes, hopefully we’ll present the trophy together in the final,” Infantino told Swiss outlet Blue Sport, as quoted by The Guardian. “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.”
The arrangement follows previous World Cup ceremonies. In 2022, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani joined Infantino to present the trophy to Argentina captain Lionel Messi, while Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the 2018 ceremony after France won the tournament.
Trump has previously presented a major football trophy at the same stadium. Last summer, he handed the Club World Cup trophy to Chelsea at the East Rutherford venue.
Trump’s involvement in the tournament
Although Sunday will mark Trump’s first appearance at a match during this World Cup, he has already featured in one of the tournament’s major off-field developments.
Trump reportedly contacted Infantino to discuss the suspension of US forward Folarin Balogun ahead of the team’s last-16 match. FIFA subsequently overturned the suspension, allowing Balogun to play.
The US team, however, were later eliminated from the tournament after a defeat by Belgium.
A regular presence at major sporting events
The World Cup final is the latest in a series of high-profile sporting events attended by Trump since his return to the White House.
Over the past year, he has attended events including the Super Bowl, the US Open, the Daytona 500 and golf’s Ryder Cup. This year, he has also appeared at several golf tournaments, the college football national championship and Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
