Late-night host Seth Meyers dedicated segments of his show "Late Night with Seth Meyers" this week to criticizing former President Donald Trump's appearance at the FIFA World Cup Final.
Meyers targeted Trump's decision to remain on stage during the trophy presentation following Spain's victory over Argentina. He also mocked Trump's previous public statements about Spain and his comparison of himself to soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.
During his monologue on Tuesday, Meyers addressed a Truth Social post from Trump that praised White House official Andrew Giuliani for "elevating the World Cup to a level that nobody thought was possible." Meyers countered, "It was already the biggest sporting event in the world. It’s not like he sold 7 million pickleball tickets."
Meyers also referenced comments Trump made in a pre-game interview, where the former president stated that Ronaldo had an "easier life" and expressed a desire to trade places with the Portuguese soccer player. Meyers quipped, "You ever watch Ronaldo, like, run full speed up and down a soccer pitch and you’re like, ‘That guy doesn’t work as hard as President Trump?’"
On Monday's show, Meyers revisited Trump's presence at the World Cup Final. He recalled Trump's prior public remarks about Spain, including statements about not wanting "anything to do with Spain" and cutting off trade with the nation. "If you’re surprised he’s up there, you forgot the first rule of Trump: Everything goes out the window if gold is around!" Meyers said, referencing Trump's appearance on stage amidst Spanish team celebrations. He compared the scene to a "Forrest Gump" moment, where Trump was present as Spain celebrated its win, despite his earlier criticisms of the country.
Meyers further detailed how FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Spanish team captain Rodrigo Hernández Cascante, or Rodri, appeared to attempt to usher Trump off the stage. "The head of the most corrupt organization on Earth was like, ‘This is a bad look,’" Meyers commented on Infantino's actions. He described Rodri's gesture as "Okay grandpa, time for bed!"
The comedian also pointed to Trump being reportedly booed by the crowd at the event, playing a montage of similar instances at other sporting events. Meyers speculated that Trump's staff might tell him he is being followed by "ghosts" rather than acknowledging the boos. He also touched on Trump's attendance at New York Knicks games, suggesting he is a "sports reaper" because a favored team lost after he attended, joking that the stadium would need to be "sage[d]" to "get the hex out."