Donald Trump to present trophy at FIFA World Cup 2026 final, says Gianni Infantino
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is being held in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The US President Donald Trump missed the Opening Ceremony at home.
The United States President Donald Trump will be on hand to present the FIFA World Cup 2026 final trophy on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday.
The global football boss has fostered an increasingly chummy relationship with the Trump and in December awarded him the inaugural edition of his invented FIFA Peace Prize, as Trump sought out sport's mega-watt spotlight.
"We will be together with the president enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course, together," Infantino said on the "Fox and Friends" television programme. FIFA said it had no comment beyond Infantino's televised remarks.
Trump was met with boos and cheers when he handed the trophy to Club World Cup winners Chelsea last year and stood in the middle of the team during their trophy lift, to the confusion of some players, in the same East Rutherford, New Jersey, stadium.
He has since attended the U.S. Open men's tennis final, the Ryder Cup golf and the NBA Finals in the greater New York metropolitan region that he once called home. The FIFA World Cup 2026 is underway across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with New York New Jersey set to host the final.
FIFA to consider hydration breaks in future
Meanwhile, Infantino stated that FIFA will consider keeping hydration breaks for future World Cups despite backlash to the extra stoppages in play at this year's tournament. Infantino defended the decision to introduce breaks — which come midway through each half — at this World Cup and said Tuesday they may be providing more entertainment for fans.
He said FIFA would analyze what it will do in future tournaments “based on this experience.” But after criticism that the breaks were a stealth way to insert advertising or American-style timeouts, Infantino suggested the stoppages have been positive.
“Maybe the coach can reassess certain situations, correct certain mistakes. The players get a little rest and come back in full speed. Well, is that bad necessarily? Maybe it’s good,” Infantino told SNTV. "And we see as well the intensity of the games. We’ve never seen 90 minutes in a tournament like this played in such an intensity.
“Until the last second of the match, players attack and so on," he continued. "And maybe, maybe not, but maybe it’s also a bit thanks to this little break that the players have and after they can go back on the field and show what they can do.”
Get all updates from FIFA World Cup 2026 here, along with FIFA World Cup 2026 Complete Schedule and FIFA World Cup 2026 Points Table.
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