Trump’s presence at the World Cup final
During the recent World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Donald Trump was observed remaining on the field during Spain‘s trophy celebrations. This occurred after he and Gianni Infantino presented the trophy. Trump had previously been booed and jeered by the crowd at the stadium.
This was not the first instance of Trump lingering during a trophy presentation. He also did so last year when Chelsea lifted the Club World Cup, an event also attended by defender Marc Cucurella, who was present at both finals.
Trump watched the match from a glass-enclosed suite alongside dignitaries including Infantino, Spain‘s King Felipe VI, Canada‘s Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Mexico‘s President Claudia Sheinbaum. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also in attendance. During the second half, Trump was seen conversing with Carney.
He was briefly shown on the stadium’s video screens after the US national anthem, which was met with scattered boos. Television broadcasts showed him touching the trophy from his seat early in the match and speaking with Melania Trump in the 85th minute. However, he did not appear on the stadium screens during the game itself.
Crowd reaction and the ‘Trump curse’ speculation
A more significant hostile reception for Trump occurred when he descended to the field to present the World Cup trophy with Infantino and other heads of state, where the majority of the crowd booed and jeered. Following the medal presentation to the players, Trump and Infantino held the World Cup trophy together before presenting it to Spain‘s captain, Rodri.
Infantino then moved away, but Trump remained. Rodri motioned for Trump to move to the left of the podium as the Spanish celebrations were about to begin. Trump appeared to consider leaving but instead stayed at the edge of the celebrations, seemingly unsure where to look. Infantino reportedly jogged over to encourage him to leave, but it was too late. Rodri lifted the trophy, and Trump was visible in the frame. He departed by the time confetti fell.
Speculation about a so-called “Trump curse” has been widespread following the World Cup final, where Argentina lost to Spain. Ahead of the match, Trump had publicly backed Argentina, stating in an interview that it was “hard to bet against Messi.” Argentina failed to register a shot on target during the match.
This sentiment follows other sporting events where teams Trump supported or attended games for experienced losses. For instance, the New York Knicks lost a game of the NBA finals this year with Trump in attendance at Madison Square Garden, where he also received boos. Earlier in the World Cup, the US team was defeated by Belgium in the last-16 after Trump reportedly intervened to get striker Folarin Balogun‘s red card suspended.
Another instance cited was a Washington Commanders game, which saw the team defeated by the Detroit Lions after Trump attended. The “Trump curse” has also been linked to the Great American State Fair, and the refurbishment of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
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Source: theguardian.com
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As News-GB's Sports Reporter, Megan Sinclair reports on tennis, cricket and athletics for readers across the country. She built her name interviewing rising British talent. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from the University of Edinburgh and completed an NCTJ diploma. Megan lives in Edinburgh, where she plays club tennis and follows track athletics. “Give the athletes room and the story tells itself.”