Trump To Attend World Cup Final Between Spain, Argentina
United States President Donald Trump will attend Sunday's 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in New Jersey, the White House has confirmed.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump's appearance at the final would mark the culmination of what she described as the most watched, most secure and most successful World Cup hosted by the United States.
She also announced that the US president will attend a FIFA reception at Trump Tower in New York on Friday ahead of the final.
Although FIFA President Gianni Infantino had earlier indicated that Trump would be present and present the trophy to the winners, the White House officially confirmed the plan on Thursday.
Leavitt declined to say which team Trump would support, following his recent criticism of Spain during a NATO summit over the country's stance on the Iran conflict.
Trump has not attended any World Cup matches during the tournament but has remained involved in its affairs.
Earlier this month, he disclosed that he asked FIFA President Infantino to review the red card shown to United States forward Folarin Balogun during a match against Bosnia.
FIFA later suspended Balogun's one-match ban, allowing him to feature in the next game against Belgium, although the hosts suffered a 4-1 defeat.
Trump has frequently credited himself with helping the United States secure the rights to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico during his first term in office.
His planned role in presenting the World Cup trophy comes after attracting attention at last year's FIFA Club World Cup final, when he joined Chelsea captain Reece James during the trophy presentation and remained on stage throughout the team's celebrations before later keeping a replica of the trophy in his office.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump's appearance at the final would mark the culmination of what she described as the most watched, most secure and most successful World Cup hosted by the United States.
She also announced that the US president will attend a FIFA reception at Trump Tower in New York on Friday ahead of the final.
Although FIFA President Gianni Infantino had earlier indicated that Trump would be present and present the trophy to the winners, the White House officially confirmed the plan on Thursday.
Leavitt declined to say which team Trump would support, following his recent criticism of Spain during a NATO summit over the country's stance on the Iran conflict.
Trump has not attended any World Cup matches during the tournament but has remained involved in its affairs.
Earlier this month, he disclosed that he asked FIFA President Infantino to review the red card shown to United States forward Folarin Balogun during a match against Bosnia.
FIFA later suspended Balogun's one-match ban, allowing him to feature in the next game against Belgium, although the hosts suffered a 4-1 defeat.
Trump has frequently credited himself with helping the United States secure the rights to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico during his first term in office.
His planned role in presenting the World Cup trophy comes after attracting attention at last year's FIFA Club World Cup final, when he joined Chelsea captain Reece James during the trophy presentation and remained on stage throughout the team's celebrations before later keeping a replica of the trophy in his office.
