Post-match trophy presentation
Following Spain’s victory over Argentina in the World Cup final, former President Donald Trump joined the winning team on the podium at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. His presence during the trophy presentation was met with boos from the crowd, who reportedly shouted and jeered as he stepped onto the field. Comedian Seth Meyers commented on the event, noting the irony of Trump celebrating with the Spanish team given his recent strained relationship with Spain.
Meyers highlighted Trump’s past remarks about Spain, including calling them a “terrible partner in Nato” earlier in the month and suggesting cutting off all trade. Despite these comments, Trump was seen cheering alongside the team after their win. Meyers also suggested that FIFA President Gianni Infantino attempted to guide Trump off the podium, with Spain’s captain, Rodrigo Hernández Cascante, also appearing to try and usher him away.
Social media posts from FIFA’s official accounts and the Spanish team’s Instagram following the final appeared to crop out Trump from pictures showing the team with the trophy. However, the White House later shared a series of images that prominently featured the former president, with some focusing solely on him. This incident echoed a similar event from the previous year when Trump and Infantino presented the Club World Cup trophy to Chelsea, where Trump also remained front and center as the team lifted the trophy.
Reactions and past controversies
The appearance at the World Cup final was not Trump’s first controversial moment at a sporting event. Meyers referenced Trump’s recent attendance at the NBA finals, where the Knicks lost, and an instance where he intervened to overturn a red card, after which the USA team lost. Meyers quipped about a “sports curse” associated with Trump, also mentioning his prediction of an Argentina victory in the World Cup final, which did not come to pass.
The relationship between Trump and Gianni Infantino has drawn scrutiny. Some FIFA fans have accused Infantino of aligning himself with Trump, particularly ahead of the United States hosting the tournament. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter reportedly described the organization as a “dictatorship” and accused Infantino of being “submissive” to Trump. Controversy also arose after Trump called Infantino before FIFA lifted U.S. striker Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension, though Trump stated he did not influence the decision.
The final match itself saw Spain defeat reigning champions Argentina with a single goal in overtime, marking Spain’s first World Cup title since 2010. This victory prevented Argentina from becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back titles. Argentina played the final stretch of the game with one less player after Enzo Fernandez received a red card for tackling Spain’s Pau Cubarsí.
Ongoing political commentary
Meyers also touched upon Trump’s continued claims regarding the conflict in Iran, stating that Trump maintains the United States has won the war despite ongoing conflict in the region. Meyers pointed out the contradiction in Trump’s statements, noting that he has claimed the war is over multiple times while also recently stating that Iran would be defeated soon.
The comedian suggested that Trump’s staff might try to reassure him about the boos at the World Cup by telling him they were “ghosts.” Meyers joked about the situation, comparing Trump’s presence to an unwelcome guest at a house party. He concluded that the stadium might need to be “saged” to remove any negative energy after Trump’s appearance.
The White House shared six pictures from the final on social media on Monday afternoon.
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Source: theguardian.com
