Following Spain‘s victory over Argentina in the World Cup final, images shared by FIFA on social media appeared to exclude Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. These pictures, which showed the Spanish team celebrating with the trophy at MetLife Stadium, seemed to be cropped to remove Trump, who was near the team during their celebrations. A photo posted by the Spanish team on Instagram immediately after the match also did not feature Trump, nor did a subsequent 20-slide post detailing the team’s celebrations.
However, the White House later released a series of six pictures from the final on social media, all of which included Trump. In two of these images, Trump was the sole person in focus, while only two of the pictures featured the Spanish team. This situation echoes a previous event from the prior year when Trump and Infantino presented the Club World Cup trophy to Chelsea.
Trophy Presentation Incidents
Commentators described Trump’s presentation of the trophy as awkward. During the ceremony, Infantino reportedly attempted to guide Trump away from the team as they lifted the trophy and confetti was released. Reece James, Chelsea‘s captain, stated after the Club World Cup incident that he had been informed Trump would “present the trophy, and then exit the stage.” Player Cole Palmer expressed confusion regarding that incident.
The recent World Cup final saw Trump, after being booed and jeered by the crowd, present medals to players alongside other dignitaries. He then held the World Cup trophy with Infantino before presenting it to Spain‘s captain, Rodri. Infantino reportedly moved away, but Trump remained in the frame as Rodri prepared to initiate the Spanish celebrations. Despite a gesture from Rodri and Infantino’s subsequent plea for him to leave, Trump stayed on the edge of the celebrations, visible as Rodri lifted the trophy. He departed once the confetti had fallen.
Controversies and Accusations
Both Trump and Infantino have been involved in controversies throughout the World Cup. Some FIFA fans have accused Infantino of aligning himself with Trump ahead of the United States hosting the tournament. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter described the organization as a “dictatorship” and accused Infantino of being “submissive” to Trump and seeking his favour.
A controversy arose after Trump reportedly called Infantino before FIFA lifted U.S. striker Folarin Balogun‘s red card suspension, though Trump has stated he did not instruct Infantino on what to do. Infantino has also faced accusations from some fans that FIFA has favoured Argentina and its star player, Lionel Messi. Allegations of FIFA favouring Argentina have existed for years, gaining momentum after Argentina‘s win over Egypt, which led the Egyptian team to question the “consistency and fairness” of officiating.
Trump’s presence at sporting events has drawn varied reactions. At the World Cup final, he watched the game from a glassed-in suite with Infantino, Spain‘s King Felipe VI, Canada prime minister Mark Carney, and Mexico‘s president Claudia Sheinbaum. The U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio was also in attendance. During the second half, Trump was observed conversing with Carney. Earlier in the tournament, the U.S. lost to Belgium in the last-16 after Trump’s call to Infantino regarding Balogun’s red card.
Spain secured their first World Cup title since 2010 by defeating reigning champions Argentina with a single goal in overtime on Sunday. This victory prevented Argentina from becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win consecutive titles. Argentina played the final stretch of the match with one less player after Enzo Fernandez received a red card for tackling Spain‘s Pau Cubarsí.
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Source: forbes.com
Harry Loxley is a Senior Football Correspondent at NewsGB.org. He spent his early career reporting East Midlands football. He focuses on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Derby and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Derby, he watches non-league and runs a fan podcast. “Good football writing follows the people, not just the points.”