Donald Trump's presence at the World Cup final trophy ceremony was an unwelcome distraction that complicated the tournament, according to U.S. Representative Yassamin Ansari.
Ansari, a Democrat representing Arizona's third congressional district, told Meidas Touch that Trump "confusingly remained on stage as Team Spain was hoisting its hardware" following their 1-0 victory over Argentina. She noted that this echoed a similar instance at the 2025 Club World Cup trophy ceremony, where FIFA president Gianni Infantino reportedly attempted to remove Trump from the stage.
FIFA subsequently cropped Trump out of some images from the ceremony, according to the report. Ansari, whose parents fled Iran after the Islamic Revolution, stated, "Nobody wanted him there." She contrasted the unifying nature of the World Cup with Trump, whom she described as "the exact opposite of that."
Ansari also condemned several decisions made during the tournament that she attributed to Trump. These included forcing Iran's national team to relocate its base camp from Tucson to Tijuana, which she said created logistical issues. The U.S. had initially denied visas to 15 Iranian officials at the tournament's start, prompting Iranian coach Amir Ghalenoei to call his squad "the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup."
Additionally, Somali referee Omar Artan was reportedly barred from officiating World Cup games in the U.S. after being denied entry amid unspecified accusations of ties to suspected terror organizations. Artan denied these allegations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection has not provided evidence. Ansari viewed these actions as a deliberate injection of politics into the tournament.
"We had ICE detain players and question them for hours," Ansari said. "I don't think the U.S. did what it was supposed to do as host, and Donald Trump is the reason for that."
Ansari expressed relief that Spain won the tournament, stating, "I was rooting for Spain." Following the ceremony, Spanish World Cup player Ferran Torres was seen wearing a "Make Spain Great Again" cap during a homecoming parade.