Infantino confirms Trump will present World Cup trophy despite missing every match so far

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed Donald Trump will take part in the World Cup final trophy presentation at MetLife Stadium on July 19, despite the U.S. president having attended none of the tournament’s matches to date. Infantino made the remarks in an interview with Blue Sport, offering the first public explanation for Trump’s conspicuous absence from a tournament he was heavily involved in organising.

Asked whether security concerns had kept Trump away from games, Infantino dismissed the suggestion. “No, no. I suppose he still has a few other things to do,” the FIFA president said. “When he’s at the stadium, people will ask, ‘What’s he doing at the stadium when there’s so much going on in the world?’ I’m always in touch with him and his government, which is doing a great job with the World Cup.”

On the final itself, Infantino said the plan had always been for Trump to share the stage: “Hopefully we’ll present the trophy together in the final. That’s always been the plan — and that’s how it’s always been done in the past — for the president of the country hosting the final to present the trophy together with the FIFA president.”

Trump had signalled his enthusiasm for the tournament as far back as January 2025, saying he wanted to attend “more than one” game and that the World Cup was “one of the great events of anywhere in the world.” The White House has so far offered no explanation for his failure to follow through on that pledge.

Trump’s involvement in the tournament has not been without controversy. He intervened to ask FIFA to review a one-match suspension handed to U.S. striker Folarin Balogun ahead of the last-16 tie against Belgium; Balogun was subsequently cleared to play, a sequence of events that drew widespread criticism.

Trump was also awarded FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize in December, and appeared prominently on stage during Chelsea’s 2025 Club World Cup trophy ceremony last summer.

The tournament has now reached the semi-final stage. France face Spain on Tuesday before England meet Argentina 24 hours later.