President Donald Trump has yet to attend a single World Cup match, but FIFA has already confirmed he will have one of the tournament’s most visible roles.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced today that President Trump will help present the World Cup trophy following the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.
“We will be together with the president enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course, together,” Infantino said during an appearance on Fox & Friends. “We are together all the time.”
The decision represents a break from recent World Cup tradition. At both the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 tournament in Qatar, Infantino personally presented the trophy to the winning captain. Before him, former FIFA president Sepp Blatter handled the ceremony.
Trump’s role comes despite his absence from the tournament itself. Nearly two weeks into the World Cup, the president has not attended a single match, even as the United States advanced through the group stage on home soil.
White House World Cup Task Force director Andrew Giuliani recently said Trump has been closely following the tournament from afar.
“I spoke to him a day or two after the U.S. won against Paraguay,” Giuliani told The Telegraph. “He’s pumped. He understands this is a really good team that has a really special opportunity here.”
Giuliani suggested Trump could still appear before the final but acknowledged the president enjoys keeping people guessing.
“He likes a good cliffhanger,” Giuliani said. “He likes to leave people watching.”
Trump’s growing involvement with FIFA has become increasingly visible. In December, Infantino awarded him the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize during the World Cup Final Draw in Washington, D.C.
The upcoming trophy presentation also comes less than a year after Trump’s appearance at the Club World Cup final generated headlines. After Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain at the same stadium, Trump joined Infantino during the trophy ceremony and remained on stage during Chelsea’s celebration after handing the trophy to captain Reece James.
Now, Trump is set to return to MetLife Stadium for an even bigger occasion.
Whether he attends a World Cup match before then remains uncertain, but FIFA has made one thing clear: when the sport crowns its next world champion on July 19, Trump will be standing alongside Infantino as the trophy is lifted.