Trump to break FIFA protocol and present World Cup trophy at final
President of the United States Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
The main trophy of the 23rd FIFA World Cup in 2026 will be presented to the tournament winners not only by the head of FIFA. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has officially stated that he will conduct the award ceremony together with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to FOX Sports.
A duo on the football podium
According to Gianni Infantino, he is in constant close contact with the White House chief. The FIFA president plans to be alongside Trump in the VIP box during the decisive match of the 2026 World Cup, and after the final whistle, they will go together onto the pitch to the winning team.
“We will be together with the President of the United States, enjoying the final and presenting the trophy to the winners, of course. We are together all the time,” Infantino emphasized.
This statement confirmed earlier media reports suggesting that Trump’s inner circle views his direct participation in the ceremony as a logical and desirable step, given the massive media scale of the event.
Read also: Why Haiti, Curaçao, and Cape Verde are playing at the 2026 World Cup while Ukraine is not
Interestingly, since the start of the tournament (which for the United States began on June 13 with a 4–1 victory over Paraguay in Los Angeles), Donald Trump has not yet attended a single football match. The final will be his debut appearance at the ongoing tournament.
Trump is no stranger to football excitement
For the U.S. president, this will not be his first similar experience. Trump has already taken part in the award ceremony of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, also hosted in the United States.
At that time, the politician became so engaged in the moment that he stayed on stage to celebrate the triumph together with London’s Chelsea, who defeated PSG in the final.
“I thought he would leave the stage after the official part, but he wanted to stay. Trump simply congratulated the team and me on lifting the trophy and told us to enjoy the moment,” Chelsea captain Reece James recalled.
The involvement of heads of state in World Cup finals is rare, but not unprecedented. In 1966, Queen Elizabeth II presented the World Cup trophy to England, and in 1982, King Juan Carlos of Spain personally congratulated Italy’s champions.
The decisive match of the 2026 World Cup, which will determine the new holder of football’s most prestigious trophy, will take place on July 19. The grand final will be hosted at a stadium in New Jersey.
Earlier, the Opta supercomputer previously recalculated the chances of 2026 World Cup favorites after the second round of matches.
