Donald Trump will attend the World Cup final on Sunday between Spain and Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where he will break FIFA protocol by jointly presenting the trophy with FIFA president Gianni Infantino. The White House confirmed Trump will attend a match for the first time in the tournament, having missed the opening ceremony and the US's opening match in June due to scheduling conflicts. His presence has been felt off the pitch, however, as he personally intervened to get a red card shown to USA star Folarin Balogun suspended.
Joint trophy presentation confirmed by Infantino
FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed the plan to Blue News: 'Yes, hopefully we’ll present the trophy together in the final. 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.' This marks a departure from recent World Cups, where Infantino or his predecessor Sepp Blatter presented the trophy alone. In 2018, Russian president Vladimir Putin was on stage for France's triumph in Moscow but did not hand the trophy to captain Hugo Lloris and exited before the trophy lift. At the 2022 final in Qatar, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani stood with Infantino to present the trophy to Argentina captain Lionel Messi and draped a traditional bisht over Messi.
Historical precedent for heads of state
Heads of state have previously presented the trophy to winning teams. Queen Elizabeth II handed the World Cup to Bobby Moore after England's 1966 victory, and King Juan Carlos of Spain did likewise in 1982, presenting it to Italy captain Dino Zoff. However, in recent tournaments, FIFA presidents have taken the lead role.
Trump's role at Club World Cup foreshadowed involvement
If last summer's Club World Cup is any indication, Trump could have an even bigger presence. He handed the trophy to Chelsea captain Reece James after Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain in the final. Trump remained on stage for the trophy lift and was firmly among the Chelsea celebrations, to the bemusement of Chelsea star Cole Palmer. Palmer said: 'I knew he was going to be here, but I didn’t know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy. I was a bit confused, yes.' James added: 'They told me that he was going to present the trophy and then exit the stage and I thought that he was going to exit the stage, but he wanted to stay.'
Additional breaks from tradition
Sunday's winners will also receive World Cup rings, similar to championship rings in the NBA, MLB, and NHL. A Super Bowl-style half-time show lasting up to 25 minutes will take place, despite laws of the game traditionally limiting the interval to 15 minutes.
