US President Donald Trump will be in the spotlight at Sunday’s World Cup final, having already experienced one of the tournament’s most controversial moments.
Trump is expected to present the trophy alongside Fifa boss and close friend Gianni Infantino to the winner of the match between Spain and Argentina.
The match in New Jersey will be the first World Cup match in which Trump plays, which is unusual for an 80-year-old leader who usually enjoys being in the spotlight.
But this is far from being his first intervention in the tournament.
Less than two weeks ago, Trump called Infantino to ask FIFA to suspend the red card given to American striker Folarin Balogun so that he could play a round of 16 match against Belgium.
Despite the ensuing controversy over fairness and influence, Trump hailed the 2026 tournament as the best ever.
“This may be the most successful sporting event in the history of the world. It’s incredible,” Trump said at a FIFA reception with Infantino at Trump Tower in New York on Friday.
Trump said the tournament also helped further popularize a sport in the United States, where the NFL, baseball and basketball still reign supreme.
“We turned out to be a football country, and I think it’s going to stay that way,” added Trump, who said his son Barron, 20, was a big fan of the sport.
First Lady Melania Trump, who is Barron’s mother, and Melania’s father, Viktor Knavs, are both expected to attend alongside the US president.
Football diplomacy
The final could also be an opportunity for some essential diplomacy.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the Spanish royal family will all be in attendance – although Trump recently lambasted Madrid for its failure to help the war in Iran and its lack of spending on NATO spending.
The leaders of the countries co-organizing the tournament, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, will also be present amid ongoing tensions with the American president.
Trump threatened Canada with tariffs Friday after smoke from raging wildfires spread over the northeastern United States and expressed concerns about air quality for the World Cup final.
Relations between Mexico and Washington remain tense due to a large-scale crackdown on immigration and threats of military action against drug traffickers.
The last time the leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico met was during the World Cup draw in Washington in December.
Trump’s appearance will also be surrounded by heavy security, with a no-fly zone in effect around the stadium as he arrives from his New Jersey golf club.
Infantino Ties
While the focus will be on football, Trump will be competing for center stage.
Trump has associated his political brand with the World Cup since his January 2025 return to the Oval Office, where he hosted Infantino several times.
He repeatedly boasted about how he won the United States the right to host the 2028 World Cup and Olympics in Los Angeles during his first term, before losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden, a result he still refuses to accept.
“I wasn’t supposed to be here now, I was president for eight years…they rigged the election, and what did I get? I got the World Cup, the Olympics,” Trump said Friday.
On Friday, Trump also joked that he wanted the United States to host a future World Cup with China, just a day after accusing Beijing of meddling in the 2020 election.
“This time we will leave Mexico and Canada aside,” he said.
Trump, who played soccer in his youth, even criticized England’s tactics in the World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina and coach Thomas Tuchel’s decision to adopt defensive tactics after taking the lead.
All eyes will also be on what Trump does on the ground.
At the FIFA Club World Cup at the same New Jersey stadium last year, winners Chelsea were “a little confused” after Trump stood on the podium while they danced after handing them the trophy.
Trump later claimed he had been allowed to keep the trophy himself in the Oval Office – but Fifa said the version on display was actually a replica.
