Say what you like about President Donald Trump, but the man has an undeniable talent for grabbing headlines.
I mean, being the POTUS certainly helps bolster his chances of being scrutinized by the media, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he should be the focal point of attention at any event he shows face.
Case in point: the 2026 World Cup Final World Cup Final. Football’s grandest event is a stage rightly reserved for the select few players on the cusp of achieving the dreams they’ve harbored since they first kicked a ball. Even Trump could expect to play second fiddle on such an occasion, and yet the president’s presence during the post-game trophy ceremony has dominated social media.
New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium had the privilege of hosting the 2026 World Cup Final on Sunday, July 19, played between Spain and Argentina. The match itself was a fairly one-sided affair, with Spain eventually emerging 1-0 victors courtesy of an extra-time winning goal.
Yet the spectacle didn’t end at the final whistle. A post-game brawl promptly broke out – caused in no small part by sour grapes on the side of Argentina players woefully unable to take their loss with dignity – and then came the trophy presentation.
Insert President Donald Trump, on hand to dish out medals to the ecstatic winners and crestfallen runners-up.
Trump himself was booed by many of the 80,000-strong crowd in the stadium as he walked onto the pitch alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino after the game. Reports claim the general crowd ambience measured approximately 78 decibels but jumped to 84 decibels when the jeering intensified.
“Ambient crowd noise was about 78 decibels. Booing brought it to 84,” HuffPost White House reporter S.V. Dáte wrote on X.
Trump also caught flack online after inserting himself into Spain’s trophy celebrations. The POTUS continued to stand close to the team for the initial lift of the World Cup trophy, with Infantino attempting to subtly steer him away.
SBS, an Australian broadcaster, were heard to be joking about the moment, which many online interpreted as Trump trying to ensure he remained in-picture for the most famous photos that would be aired around the world – those of Spain lifting the World Cup Trophy.
Picked up on a hot mic, a commentator with SBS can be heard saying: “They can edit him out of that.”
Coincidentally, that’s exactly what Spain did, brushing Trump entirely out of the photos they used for their social media channels in the posts celebrating their nation’s success.
“Editing Trump OUT is the best idea I’ve heard yet! Let’s just edit him right out of everything,” one person wrote on X.
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