Former U.S. President Donald Trump attended the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on July 19, held at the MetLife Stadium in New York-New Jersey, where Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 [1, 2, 3]. Trump presented the World Cup trophy to Spain, marking the culmination of a tournament hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico [2, 4, 5, 6].
Prior to the final, Trump attended a FIFA reception on July 17 at Trump Tower in New York City, where officials and guests gathered ahead of the match [1, 7, 5]. FIFA introduced U.S.-style championship rings for the tournament winners; 30 rings were made for Spain's championship team, with 1,996 additional rings sold to fans [2, 8].
Trump was involved in controversies during the tournament, including lobbying FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review a red card against U.S. striker Folarin Balogun, resulting in the suspension of the player’s one-game ban [7, 2, 9]. Trump has also taken credit for helping secure the U.S., Canada, and Mexico as co-hosts for the event [7, 9].
The final featured the attendance of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and members of Spain’s royal family, King Felipe and Queen Letizia [10]. Trump faced brief boos from some fans but was largely welcomed at the event compared to his previous appearances, according to reports [3].
Weather concerns arose due to Canadian wildfires impacting New York’s air quality, but officials said the final match was not expected to be affected [2, 3]. Trump sat alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the final and presented the trophy amid the packed stadium [1, 2, 6].
Trump’s relationship with Infantino includes the awarding of a FIFA peace prize in 2025 at the World Cup draw in Washington [7, 6]. Trump previously drew controversy for presenting trophies, notably at the 2025 Club World Cup final where he handed the trophy to Chelsea and remained on stage for celebrations [9].
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s attendance would cap "the most watched, most secure, and most successful World Cup in American history," adding that the president looked forward to attending the final [1, 5]. Trump himself remarked of soccer’s U.S. popularity, "It turned out we were a soccer country" [9].
In June 2026, Infantino announced Trump’s role in attending the final and presenting the trophy [7]. The next major FIFA event is not yet scheduled as attention shifts to future competitions.
