Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino faced a chorus of boos as they entered the field for the trophy presentation, where Trump attempted to join in on Spain’s victory celebrations.
Arriving via Marine One, Trump’s helicopter flew over the stadium approximately 45 minutes before the match commenced. He occupied a glass-enclosed luxury seating area alongside Infantino, with notable figures including Spain’s King Felipe VI, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum nearby.
Following the performance of the US national anthem, Trump appeared briefly on the stadium’s video screens, eliciting some boos from the audience. However, the reaction was relatively muted compared to previous events during his presidency. The atmosphere changed dramatically when both Trump and Infantino took to the field after Spain’s triumph, as loud boos echoed around the stadium. After presenting the World Cup trophy, Trump tried to participate in the team’s celebrations before Infantino discreetly guided him away.
This incident mirrored Trump’s previous appearance during the Club World Cup at the same venue, where he presented the trophy to Chelsea but was similarly rebuffed when he attempted to join the players’ celebrations.
Since his re-election, Trump has made multiple appearances at various sporting events, including the Super Bowl, the US Open in tennis, the Daytona 500, and the Ryder Cup in golf. This year, he has attended several golf tournaments, college football’s national championship, and Game 3 of the NBA Finals, where he was also met with jeers from the New York Knicks crowd.
This marked Trump’s first attendance at a match during this summer’s World Cup, co-hosted by the US along with Canada and Mexico.
At the 2022 World Cup final, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani of Qatar joined Infantino in presenting the trophy to Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates. The trophy was awarded to Kylian Mbappé and France by Vladimir Putin at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Notably, Trump is the first sitting US president to attend a World Cup final on home soil. His predecessor, Bill Clinton, did not attend the 1994 tournament, with the trophy presented instead by Al Gore, Clinton’s vice president.
Trump maintains a strong rapport with Infantino, having reached out to him regarding the controversial red-card suspension of US star Folarin Balogun prior to their last-16 match. FIFA ultimately revoked Balogun’s suspension, but the surrounding political drama overshadowed the US team, which exited the tournament following a loss to Belgium.
