2026 World Cup: Donald Trump Gets Gianni Infantino Excited

U.S. President Donald Trump will attend the World Cup final. FIFA President Gianni Infantino made the announcement during an interview with Fox. “We’ll be there together to enjoy the final and present the trophy to the winner,” said the FIFA president. When asked if the award ceremony would be conducted jointly, Infantino replied without hesitation: “Of course.” This is not Trump’s first appearance at a major soccer event organized by FIFA. Last year, in fact, the U.S. president was present at MetLife Stadium for the Club World Cup final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. On that occasion, his entrance onto the stage was met with boos from part of the crowd.

According to rumors, some White House aides have advised caution regarding public appearances during the tournament, even going so far as to suggest reconsidering his attendance at the final. These speculations are further fueled by Trump’s absence from the U.S. team’s opening match—a decision that did not go unnoticed, given the country’s role as a co-host of the event.

At this time, there has been no official confirmation from the White House regarding rumors of a possible scaling back of his presence at World Cup events.

Trump’s presence has, in fact, been a constant source of tension surrounding this World Cup since the very beginning. The French sports daily L’Équipe had dedicated its front page to a scathing cover story titled “Welcome to the USA,” depicting the president wearing the “FIFA Peace Prize” medal around his neck, holding the World Cup in one hand and Infantino—transformed into a puppet—in the other. An image that went viral around the world, fueled by the controversy over the denied entry of several delegations, including the most emblematic case: that of Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was named Africa’s Referee of the Year in 2025 and selected by FIFA as one of the 52 referees for the final tournament, but was turned away at the border despite holding a valid visa. When asked about the issue, Trump dismissed the controversy with a few words in the Oval Office: “We’re letting the right people in,” adding that “the World Cup has never been such a huge success.”