President Donald Trump is scheduled to present the FIFA World Cup trophy alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the final match to be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey next month, Infantino confirmed Tuesday.
Infantino stated in an interview that he and Trump will "be together... enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course, together." This marks a notable appearance for the president at a major international sporting event.
Trump and Infantino previously collaborated on a trophy presentation following the FIFA Club World Cup Final last year at the same New Jersey venue, where Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain. That appearance occurred a year after an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.
During his previous participation, Trump remained on stage for the celebration after presenting awards, which caused some confusion among players. "I knew he was going to be here, but I didn’t know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy, so I was a bit confused," commented Chelsea player Cole Palmer at the time.
Trump and Infantino have developed a working relationship since the president took office. Trump established the White House Task Force for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which commenced in North America earlier this month, appointing Andrew Giuliani as the task force's executive director.
While Trump has not yet attended a World Cup match, other political figures have been present. Marco Rubio was seen at the United States Men's National Team's opening game on June 12. The president was also awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize by Infantino in December during the World Cup final draw event in Washington, D.C.
Recently, Trump attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden and the White House hosted UFC Freedom 250 last week.