Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino faced boos as they took the field for the World Cup final presentation ceremony. The incident occurred before Trump attempted to gatecrash Spain's victory party after the match.
Arrival and Match Attendance
Trump arrived at the stadium via Marine One, with the presidential helicopter flying over the venue about 45 minutes before kick-off. He watched the match from a glassed-in luxury section alongside Infantino, near other dignitaries including Spain's King Felipe VI, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Trump was briefly shown on the stadium's video screens after the US national anthem. While some boos were heard, the reception was less hostile than at other sporting events during his presidency.
Booing During Presentation
When Trump and Infantino walked onto the field for the trophy presentation after Spain's victory, boos rang out around the stadium. According to the White House pool report, ambient crowd noise rose from approximately 78 decibels before their introduction to 84 decibels when Trump entered the field.
After presenting Spain with the World Cup trophy, Trump attempted to stand with the team on the podium as they celebrated. Infantino quietly ushered him away, a repeat of a similar incident at last summer's Club World Cup when Trump tried to crash Chelsea's celebrations.
Trump's Sporting Appearances
Since his re-election, Trump has attended numerous sporting events, including the Super Bowl, the US Open tennis tournament, the Daytona 500, and the Ryder Cup. This year, he has been to several golf events, the college football national championship game, and Game 3 of the NBA finals, where he was booed by the New York Knicks home crowd.
This was Trump's first appearance at a match during the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico. He is the first sitting US president to attend a World Cup final on home soil; in 1994, President Bill Clinton did not attend, with the trophy presented by Vice President Al Gore.
Relationship with Infantino
Trump has a close relationship with Infantino. He called the FIFA president to lobby for a review of US star Folarin Balogun's controversial red-card suspension before the last-16 match. FIFA reversed the ban, but the political involvement cast a pall over the US team, who were eliminated by Belgium.
