US President Donald Trump will help present the World Cup trophy following Sunday’s final at New York New Jersey Stadium.
The arrangement was confirmed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who said Trump would attend the match and join him during the post-match ceremony in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
“We will be together with the president, enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course,” Infantino said, as quoted by The Independent.
Spain have already secured one place in the final after defeating France 2-0. The European champions will face either England or defending champions Argentina, who meet in Wednesday’s second semi-final in Atlanta.
Read also: “Sport cannot be separated from politics”: Denmark backs EU funding threat
CNN highlights potential political tension
Trump’s involvement has attracted attention beyond football because of his relationships with several countries represented at the tournament.
CNN argued that “there could be some awkwardness in New Jersey” regardless of which nations reached the deciding match.
According to CNN’s analysis of the planned ceremony, Trump’s foreign policy, tariffs and confrontational language towards several governments could create an unusual backdrop for a celebration intended to represent international unity.
The article was published before the semi-final line-up had been reduced. France can no longer reach the final, leaving Spain to await either England or Argentina.
Read also: Spain handed an encouraging helping hand before World Cup final
Relations between Washington and all three countries contain political complications, although there is no evidence that players or national associations intend to turn the ceremony into a diplomatic protest.
The possibility of an uncomfortable exchange therefore remains speculation rather than a confirmed problem.
Trophy role breaks with recent practice
Trump’s participation is a departure from the two most recent men’s World Cup finals, when Infantino presented the trophy without the host country’s head of state taking such a prominent role.
It is not, however, completely unprecedented.
Read also: “We have not received a response”: Croatia demand VAR audio from FIFA
King Juan Carlos presented the trophy to Italy captain Dino Zoff following the 1982 final in Madrid. Queen Elizabeth II also handed the Jules Rimet Trophy to England captain Bobby Moore at Wembley in 1966, as described by ESPN.
The main uncertainty concerns how long Trump will remain on the podium after the trophy has been presented.
Reports suggest FIFA will allow him considerable freedom during the ceremony, but the organisation has not published a detailed protocol explaining his precise movements or responsibilities.
Club World Cup ceremony provides recent precedent
Trump was involved in the trophy presentation when Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025 Club World Cup final at the same stadium.
Read also: Dembélé joins Platini and Eusébio as Ballon d’Or pattern continues
He initially carried the trophy towards Chelsea captain Reece James alongside Infantino. Rather than leaving before the players began their celebrations, Trump remained beside the team during the initial trophy lift.
According to Yahoo Sports’ account of the ceremony, several Chelsea players appeared surprised by his continued presence, while parts of the crowd booed the president.
The moment became one of the most widely discussed images from the final and is one reason Trump’s planned role on Sunday is receiving increased scrutiny.
FIFA has not said whether the World Cup ceremony will be organised differently to prevent a similar situation.
Read also: “The incredible way Jude fights”: England hail Bellingham before Argentina clash
Balogun citizenship claim is outdated
The original report also connected Trump’s appearance with the debate surrounding US striker Folarin Balogun and birthright citizenship.
Balogun was born in Brooklyn in 2001 to Nigerian parents and moved to London shortly afterwards. His place of birth made him eligible to represent the United States, England or Nigeria before he committed his international future to the US in 2023.
U.S. Soccer’s official profile of Balogun confirms that he was born in New York and raised in England.
However, his citizenship was not under threat from Trump’s executive order.
The order applied only to children born in the United States more than 30 days after it was signed in January 2025. It did not seek to remove citizenship retrospectively from people such as Balogun.
More importantly, the Supreme Court ruled on June 30, 2026, that children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present are citizens at birth under the 14th Amendment.
In Trump v. Barbara, the court rejected the administration’s attempt to narrow the constitutional guarantee.
Trump has said he wants the court to reconsider the ruling, but birthright citizenship currently remains constitutionally protected.
Balogun’s story therefore illustrates how immigration politics became connected to the World Cup, but it should not be presented as an unresolved question concerning his own status.
Barron Trump subplot removed
Claims about Barron Trump’s height, football ability and business interests do not have a direct connection to the trophy presentation.
Although Donald Trump has previously discussed his son’s interest in football, Barron has not been given a confirmed role in Sunday’s ceremony.
His reported interest in property development and business projects is similarly unrelated to FIFA’s plans and has therefore been omitted from the rewritten article.
Global spotlight turns to New Jersey
The final will take place on Sunday, July 19, at New York New Jersey Stadium, FIFA’s tournament name for MetLife Stadium.
Spain are attempting to win their second men’s World Cup after their triumph in 2010. England are seeking their first title since 1966, while Argentina are trying to become the first country since Brazil in 1962 to retain the trophy.
Whichever country reaches the final, Trump and Infantino are expected to be waiting on the presentation stage.
The ceremony will combine football’s greatest prize with the presence of one of the world’s most divisive political figures.
Whether that produces an awkward diplomatic moment remains uncertain. What is already clear is that the trophy presentation will attract almost as much attention as any World Cup ceremony in recent history.
