Donald Trump will present the World Cup trophy to the tournament winners on July 19, FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed, marking a high-profile role for the US president at the final in New York-New Jersey Stadium.
Infantino revealed the plan during an interview with Fox and Friends, describing a close working relationship with Trump ahead of the tournament that kicked off June 11. The FIFA chief said the two men would share the moment together, stating "we are together all the time."
The arrangement mirrors Trump's participation in last year's Club World Cup final in the United States, where he presented the trophy to Chelsea after their victory. That appearance drew attention when Trump lingered on the winners' podium rather than exiting immediately after the handoff.
Chelsea defender Reece James, who received the trophy, recalled the interaction afterward. "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," James said. When asked what Trump had said to him during the moment, James added, "To be honest it was quite loud. I couldn't hear too much. He just congratulated me and the team for lifting the trophy and told us to enjoy the moment."
Cole Palmer, who scored twice in Chelsea's match against Paris Saint-Germain, said the sight of Trump on the podium caught him off guard. "I knew he was going to be here, but I didn't know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy. I was a bit confused, yes," Palmer recalled.
Despite the close relationship between Trump and Infantino in the months leading up to the current tournament, the president has made few public statements about the competition since its opening on June 11.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump's trophy-presentation gig is turning into an unexpectedly starring role, and Chelsea's players clearly didn't expect the extended cameo either."
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