2026 World Cup: Infantino Gives Donald Trump Another Gift—This Has Never Happened Before

The 2026 World Cup final, scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New York between Spain and Argentina, could have also turned into an event with strong political significance. In fact, there had been speculation that Argentine President Javier Milei (who has historically been close to Donald Trump) and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez—the leader of a government often criticized by the U.S. president—would be in the stands.

In the end, however, neither of them will be present. King Felipe VI will arrive from Madrid to watch the match and support the Spanish national team, while Argentina is expected to be represented by its ambassador in Buenos Aires. Instead, Donald Trump will take center stage. The U.S. president, host of the tournament, will not merely watch the final: as confirmed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, he himself will present the World Cup trophy to the winners.

This decision marks a significant departure from tradition. In previous World Cup editions, it was in fact the FIFA president who directly presented the trophy to the captain of the world champion team. This time, however, Infantino has announced that he will share the award ceremony with Trump. This is not the first time the U.S. president has carved out a leading role for himself at a major soccer event. Already in last year’s Club World Cup final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, Trump remained on stage even after the trophy was presented, drawing the attention of the cameras amid the embarrassment of some players and boos from part of the audience.