US President Donald Trump will be the center of attention at the World Cup final on Sunday, having already provided one of the most controversial moments of the tournament.
Trump is expected to present the trophy alongside FIFA chief and close friend Gianni Infantino to the winner of the match between Spain and Argentina.
The game in New Jersey will be the first World Cup match Trump attends, in an unusual move for an 80-year-old leader who typically loves the spotlight.
But it is far from his first intervention in the tournament.
Less than two weeks ago, Trump phoned Infantino to ask FIFA to suspend a red card against American forward Folarin Balogun so he could play in a round of 16 match against Belgium.
Despite the ensuing controversy over fairness and influence, Trump has praised the 2026 tournament as the best in history.
“This has been perhaps the most successful sporting event in the history of the world. It’s been incredible,” Trump said at a FIFA reception with Infantino at Trump Tower in New York on Friday.
Trump said the tournament had also helped further popularize a sport in the United States, where the NFL, baseball and basketball remain the biggest.
“It turned out we were a football country and I think we will continue to be,” added Trump, who said his son Barron, 20, was a big fan of the game.
First lady Melania Trump, Barron’s mother, and Melania’s father, Viktor Knavs, will attend with the US president.
soccer diplomacy
The final could also be an opportunity for some much-needed diplomacy.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the Spanish royal family will attend, even though Trump recently lashed out at Madrid for not helping with the Iran war and not covering NATO spending.
Leaders of the tournament’s co-hosts, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, will also be there amid ongoing tensions with the mercurial American president.
Trump threatened Canada with tariffs on Friday after smoke from wildfires spread over the northeastern United States and raised concerns about air quality during the World Cup final.
Meanwhile, Mexico’s ties with Washington remain strained by Trump’s large-scale immigration crackdown and threats of military action against drug traffickers.
The last time the leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico met was at the World Cup draw in Washington in December.
Trump’s appearance will also be surrounded by heavy security, with a no-fly zone around the stadium when he arrives from his New Jersey golf club.
Infantino Ties
While the focus will be on football, Trump will compete for center stage.
Trump has tied his political brand to the World Cup since returning to the Oval Office in January 2025, where he received Infantino on multiple occasions.
He repeatedly boasted about how he won the United States the right to host the World Cup and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 during his first term, before losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden in a result he still refuses to accept.
“I’m not 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 jokingly talked about how 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 out,” he said.
Trump, who played soccer as a 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 field.
At the FIFA Club World Cup championship held at the same stadium in New Jersey last year, winners Chelsea were left “a little confused” after Trump stayed on the podium while they danced after he presented them with the trophy.
Trump later claimed he had been allowed to keep the trophy in the Oval Office, but FIFA said the version on display was actually a replica.
