Trump Set to Share World Cup Trophy Presentation with Infantino
Donald Trump will play a central role in the World Cup trophy ceremony at the final on 19 July, Fifa president Gianni Infantino has confirmed. Speaking on Fox and Friends, Infantino said the two men plan to hand the trophy to the winning team together at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
“We will be together with the president enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course,” Infantino said, according to The Guardian. When asked whether they would present it jointly, he added: “Of course, we are together all the time.”
The announcement follows a pattern already established at the Club World Cup final earlier this year in the United States, which Chelsea won. Trump presented the trophy to Blues captain Reece James but then remained on the winners’ podium rather than leaving the stage as organisers had apparently planned.
James recalled the moment with some bemusement: “They told me that he was going to present the trophy and then exit the stage,” James said, noting Trump chose to stay put and offered his congratulations to the team.
Chelsea forward Cole Palmer was similarly caught off guard. He said he knew Trump would be at the event but had not expected to see him standing alongside the squad as they lifted the trophy. “I was a bit confused, yes,” Palmer admitted.
Trump has maintained a close public relationship with Infantino in the build-up to the tournament, which kicked off on 11 June. Despite that proximity, the US president has made relatively few public statements about the tournament itself since it began.
For those following every twist of the competition, our World Cup 2026 hub has you covered with previews, tips and analysis, while the live standings are updated throughout the tournament.
With the final just weeks away, the question of who will actually be receiving the trophy from Trump and Infantino is very much alive — adding an unusual political dimension to what promises to be a landmark moment in football history.