(AFP) – US President Donald Trump grabbed a share of the spotlight at the World Cup final on Sunday, staying on stage with winners Spain as they lifted the trophy after beating Argentina. Despite being met by resounding boos as he walked on to the pitch with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Trump basked in the attention at the end of a tournament he has called “the most successful sporting event maybe in the history of the world.”
Trump briefly lingered on stage as Infantino tried to lead him away while the Spanish team held the trophy aloft in celebration. The 80-year-old US leader even did a quick version of his trademark “Trump dance” in front of the Spanish players. Trump had arrived on his Marine One helicopter at the New York-New Jersey stadium to watch Spain and Argentina battle it out for the trophy.
During the game, he sat next to Infantino and First Lady Melania Trump, and stood and saluted for the US national anthem. Trump said before kick-off that he thought superstar Lionel Messi would give Argentina the edge and talked about his own close ties with Argentina’s right-wing President Javier Milei. But he told reporters afterward that he “wasn’t sad” Argentina had lost. “I would say Spain played better, really,” Trump said.
The game also provided a chance for some diplomacy. Trump said he had spoken to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney — whose country co-hosted the tournament with the United States and Mexico — about wildfires that have sent smoke over the US northeast. The US leader said he had a “good relationship” with Carney “but maybe they should pay us some damages or something, or we should do some tariffs.” The smoke had at one point threatened to disrupt the final. Trump said he also spoke to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, insisting there was “no tension” despite recently lashing out at Madrid for failing to help with the Iran war and falling short on NATO spending.
– ‘It’s been amazing’ –
Trump co-presented the trophy to Spain alongside Infantino. The match is the first World Cup fixture that Trump has attended, in an unusual move for an 80-year-old leader who relishes public events. But it is far from his first intervention in the tournament. Less than two weeks ago, Trump infamously phoned Infantino to ask FIFA to suspend a red card against USA striker Folarin Balogun so he could play in a last-16 match against Belgium.
Despite the ensuing controversy over fairness and influence, Trump has hailed the 2026 tournament as the best ever. “This has been the most successful sporting event maybe in the history of the world. It’s been amazing,” Trump told a FIFA reception with Infantino at Trump Tower in New York on Friday. Trump said the 104 games had also helped further popularize a sport in the United States. “It turned out we were a soccer country, and I think it’s going to remain,” added Trump, who said his son Barron, 20, was a huge fan of the game.
Trump has hitched his political brand to the World Cup since returning in January 2025 to the Oval Office, where he has hosted Infantino on multiple occasions. But the run-up to the tournament also hit hiccups from Trump’s immigration policies, which saw some fans face visa issues. At the FIFA Club World Cup championship at the same New Jersey stadium last year, winners Chelsea were left confused when Trump stayed on the podium while they danced after he handed them the trophy. Trump later claimed he had been allowed to keep the trophy itself in the Oval Office — but FIFA said the version on display was actually a replica.
– Danny KEMP
© 2024 AFP
