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United States President Donald Trump is expected to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup final and take part in the trophy presentation ceremony, according to FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
The final is scheduled to take place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, which will host the tournament’s showpiece event.
Although Trump has not attended any matches since the competition began on June 11, Infantino indicated that the US president is expected to be present for the final.
Infantino confirms Trump’s role
Speaking to Fox, Infantino said Trump would join him during the closing stages of the tournament and help hand over the trophy to the winning team.
“We will be together with the president enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course,” Infantino said.
When asked whether they would present the trophy together, he added: “Of course, we are together all the time.”
The World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the United States staging 78 of the tournament’s 104 matches.
White House explains absence
Despite the tournament being hosted largely on American soil, Trump has yet to attend a match.
According to Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House’s World Cup task force, the president’s schedule has prevented him from making an appearance so far.
Giuliani told the Telegraph that Trump prefers to keep people guessing about when he might attend an event.
Previous trophy ceremony sparked attention
Trump’s expected involvement in the World Cup final follows his appearance at the 2025 Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium.
On that occasion, he remained on the winners’ podium after presenting the trophy to Chelsea captain Reece James, creating a moment that drew attention from fans and players.
Reflecting on the incident, James said: “They told me that he was going to present the trophy and then exit the stage and I thought that he was going to exit the stage, but he wanted to stay.”
The World Cup final is expected to attract a global audience of hundreds of millions, with Trump now set to play a prominent role in the tournament’s closing ceremony.