Donald Trump, current president of the United States, will have a prominent participation in the FIFA World Cup awards ceremony. The final of the sporting event is scheduled for July 19th and will take place at the MetLife Stadium, located in New Jersey, where the president will present the trophy to the champions.
Official confirmation of this participation came to light this Tuesday (23), with a statement from Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, during his appearance on the television program “Fox and Friends”.
This measure represents a break with an old protocol of world football’s highest entity. Historically, it was the FIFA president himself who handed the coveted trophy directly to the captain of the champion team, a rite observed in previous editions, such as 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar. The insertion of a head of state in the central role of the final awards, especially one who was not directly involved with the sport during the tournament, highlights the particularity of the relationship between FIFA and the United States government, host of the competition.
Even though Donald Trump has not been present in any match of the competition so far, his participation in the final symbolizes the North American administration’s direct engagement with the global tournament.
As explained by Andrew Giuliani, director of the White House Task Force designated for the World Cup, the chief executive has been monitoring the performance of the United States national team remotely.
Giuliani added that, despite not having confirmed his presence at events prior to the final game, Donald Trump expresses a clear interest in the championship’s development.
Relationship between Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino grows closer
In an indication of this rapprochement, FIFA president Gianni Infantino had already been received by Donald Trump at the White House.
Deepening the relationship between the Trump administration and FIFA
In recent months, there has been a notable intensification in the institutional relationship between the United States government and the highest organization in world football.
One of the landmark moments of this rapprochement occurred in December, when Gianni Infantino awarded Donald Trump the FIFA Peace Prize. The award ceremony was held in Washington, District of Columbia, during the draw for the final stage of the tournament.
The president’s participation in this year’s final, in turn, follows a precedent of his presence at the 2025 Club World Cup award ceremony. On that occasion, the president of the United States handed the trophy to the Chelsea captain, after the team emerged victorious over Paris Saint-Germain in the same stadium.