It was 26 minutes after the World Cup ended that Donald Trump made his entrance. The U.S. president, surrounded by his security detail, walked onto the field in East Rutherford to present the golden trophy to Spain for defeating Argentina, 1-0, in the final on Sunday.
And the fans booed him — loudly.
Trump made his way onto a stage that was erected at midfield and greeted the Spanish players as they were introduced to the crowd at MetLife Stadium. He hung a silver medal around the neck of Argentina star Lionel Messi and several other players.
Trump presented the trophy and then stepped to the side of the stage, where he and FIFA president Gianni Infantino were showered with golden confetti. Then, he stood off to the side for several minutes as the Spanish players continued to celebrate 20 yards away.
Trump watched the game in a MetLife Stadium suite with Infantino and other dignitaries. They sat behind bullet-proof glass that was specially installed for the event. His decision to attend the game led to long security lines before the game with secret service, New Jersey state police and other law enforcement agencies amping up their presence.
It wasn’t the first time Trump has been booed at a sporting event. Last month, fans at Madison Square Garden jeered him at Game 3 of the NBA Finals — becoming the first U.S. president to attend the event — between the Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs.
Trump was instrumental in bringing the World Cup to North America — Mexico and Canada co-hosted the tournament — for the first time since the U.S. hosted it in 1994.
“(Infantino) had this idea, and I said, ‘That’s crazy, we’re not a soccer country.’ But it turns out we are a soccer country,” Trump said on Fox before the game. “I don’t think there’s been anything like what’s happened with the whole World Cup. It’s been beautiful. It’s been a beautiful thing to watch.”
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Trump also said he was putting pressure on Infantino to bring the World Cup back to the United States far sooner than anyone expects. The 2030 World Cup will be held mostly in Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with a select few games in South America.
“I think it’s a great idea,” he said. “But based on the numbers, we will be requesting it again immediately. But I said to take out the shock, you could announce us and maybe then for the next one another, and even another. But we have to do this again, and we have to do it while I’m around. You hear that, Gianni?”
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Steve Politi | NJ.com; nj.com; (TNS) || ©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit nj.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
