Spain midfielder Mikel Merino was caught imitating Donald Trump’s trademark dance as Spain’s squad celebrated their World Cup final victory over Argentina. The incident occurred when Trump, who tried to approach the podium, had his back turned.
Match highlights
Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in extra time after Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a second bookable offence. Spain dominated the match at MetLife Stadium, forcing Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to make 11 saves – a record for a men's World Cup final. Spain also had over 65% possession, while Argentina failed to register a shot on target.
Argentina’s Leandro Paredes received a red card after a violent clash with Gavi and Eric Garcia after the final whistle.
Trump's presence and reactions
Trump had to be shepherded away from the stage after trying to gatecrash the celebrations. While Merino found humor in the situation, Argentina defenders Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero were seen refusing to shake Trump’s hand while collecting their runners-up medals.
Before the match, Spain striker Borja Iglesias expressed reluctance to shake Trump’s hand. “Yeah, look, I don’t want to go to jail, you know?” Iglesias told Revista Panenka. “So it’s something I’ve thought about, something I’ve even imagined. I hope to greet him at a time when we’re all very happy and that it passes very quickly and I forget about it.”
Awards and statistics
Spain captain Rodri won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. Goalkeeper Unai Simon received the Golden Glove, and defender Pau Cubarsi was named best young player. France forward Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Boot for the second time with 10 goals.
