Trump’s repeated presence at trophy presentations
Donald Trump remained on stage during Spain’s World Cup trophy celebration, a scene that mirrored his presence at the 2025 Club World Cup. This occurred at the same stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where Spain secured their victory. Marc Cucurella, a defender who was part of the Chelsea team that lifted the Club World Cup in 2025, was also present on both occasions.
During the World Cup final, Trump, alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino, presented the trophy. Despite the presentation concluding, Trump stayed in the frame as the Spanish team celebrated their win. This led to what some commentators described as an awkward moment, with Infantino reportedly attempting to guide Trump away from the team as they lifted the trophy amidst confetti.
Chelsea captain Reece James had previously stated that he was informed Trump would present the trophy and then exit the stage following the Club World Cup. Another Chelsea player, Cole Palmer, expressed confusion regarding the incident at the time.
Crowd reaction and official responses
Prior to the trophy presentation, Trump was shown on stadium video screens after the US national anthem, which was met with scattered boos from some in the crowd. Television broadcasts also showed him touching the trophy from his seat in the early stages of the match and conversing with Melania Trump in the 85th minute. However, he did not appear on the stadium screens during the match itself.
The hostile reception intensified when Trump descended to the field to present the World Cup trophy alongside Infantino and other heads of state. The vast majority of the crowd booed and jeered at this point. After presenting medals to the players, Trump and Infantino held the World Cup trophy together before presenting it to Spain’s captain, Rodri. Infantino then moved away, but Trump remained.
Rodri appeared to motion for Trump to move to the left of the podium as the Spanish celebrations were about to begin. Trump initially seemed as though he would leave but instead lingered at the edge of the celebrations. Infantino reportedly had to approach him again, making a plea for him to depart. Despite this, Trump remained in the frame as Rodri lifted the trophy. He eventually left once the confetti began to fall.
Following the event, FIFA’s official social media accounts shared pictures of Spain’s World Cup victory. These images, depicting the Spanish team holding the trophy at MetLife Stadium, appeared to be carefully cropped to exclude Trump. Similarly, a photo posted by the Spanish team on Instagram immediately after the match, and a subsequent 20-slide post, also did not include Trump.
Controversies surrounding Trump and Infantino
The involvement of Trump and Infantino has drawn controversy throughout the World Cup. Some fans have accused Infantino of aligning himself with Trump in the lead-up to the United States hosting the tournament. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, in February, described FIFA as a “dictatorship” and accused Infantino of being “submissive” to Trump and seeking his favour.
A previous incident involved Trump calling Infantino before FIFA lifted US striker Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension. While Trump stated he did not instruct Infantino on what to do, this event sparked controversy. The US team subsequently lost 4-1 to Belgium in the last-16 of the World Cup after this call.
Infantino has also faced accusations from some fans regarding alleged favouritism towards Argentina and its star player, Lionel Messi. Accusations of FIFA favouring Argentina have persisted for years, gaining renewed attention this year after Argentina’s win over Egypt, which prompted the Egyptian team to question the “consistency and fairness” of officiating.
Spain ultimately won the World Cup by defeating reigning champions Argentina, scoring a single goal in overtime. This victory marked Spain’s first since 2010 and prevented Argentina from becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back titles. Argentina played the final stretch of the match with one less player after Enzo Fernandez received a red card for tackling Spain’s Pau Cubarsí.
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Source: theguardian.com
