New York stadium sees Trump booed at World Cup final celebrations
During Spain’s World Cup victory celebrations at a stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Donald Trump was met with boos from the crowd. This occurred as he participated in the trophy presentation alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino and other dignitaries. Trump remained on stage as the Spanish team celebrated their win, a scene that echoed a similar event from the previous year.
The former US president had previously drawn a hostile reception at other sporting events. Notably, he was booed at Madison Square Garden during a New York Knicks game in the NBA finals. At the World Cup final, initial boos were heard when Trump was briefly shown on video screens after the US national anthem. Later, as he walked onto the field for the trophy ceremony, the jeering from the crowd became more pronounced.
Trophy Presentation and Lingering Presence
Trump presented medals to both the Argentina and Spain players. While presenting the medals, he shook hands and smiled at each player. However, Argentina defender Cristian Romero, who plays for Tottenham, did not shake Trump’s hand, though he did acknowledge other leaders present, including Canada prime minister Mark Carney and Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum. Even Spain’s Borja Iglesias, who had previously criticised Trump, shook his hand.
Following the medal ceremony, Trump and Infantino together held the World Cup trophy before presenting it to Spain’s captain, Rodri. Infantino then moved away, but Trump remained on stage. Rodri appeared to motion for Trump to move to the side of the podium as the team prepared to celebrate. Despite this, Trump stayed on the edge of the celebrations, seemingly unsure where to stand, which led Infantino to approach him again, seemingly urging him to leave. However, Trump was still visible in the frame when Rodri lifted the trophy.
This was not the first time Trump had remained on stage during a trophy celebration. The previous year, he was present during Chelsea’s Club World Cup celebrations, where he also lingered as the team lifted the trophy. Chelsea captain Reece James had stated he was informed Trump would present the trophy and then exit the stage, while player Cole Palmer expressed confusion about the incident.
Controversies and Political Engagements
Trump’s involvement in the World Cup had generated controversy even before the final. Earlier in the tournament, the US team experienced a 4-1 defeat against Belgium in the last-16 stage. This followed a phone call between Trump and Infantino, which reportedly led to the suspension of US striker Folarin Balogun’s red card. Some fans and commentators accused Infantino of aligning himself with Trump ahead of the United States hosting the tournament.
During the final match, Trump watched from a glassed-in suite alongside Infantino, Spain’s king Felipe VI, Mark Carney, and Claudia Sheinbaum. The US secretary of state Marco Rubio was also in attendance. At one point in the second half, Trump was observed conversing with Carney. Trump later recounted a discussion with Carney regarding Canadian wildfires, expressing his concerns about their impact on air quality.
Trump had also expressed his desire for the United States to host another World Cup immediately. However, with Spain, Portugal, and Morocco confirmed as 2030 hosts and Saudi Arabia for 2034, the earliest the US could host again would be 2038.
Following the final, FIFA’s social media accounts appeared to crop Trump and Infantino out of pictures celebrating Spain’s World Cup victory. However, the White House later shared a series of pictures from the final that prominently featured Trump, with some images focusing solely on him, while only two of the six pictures included the Spanish team.
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Source: theguardian.com
As NewsUK's Senior Football Correspondent, Thomas Beckwith reports on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side for readers across the country. He reported on three World Cups for a national news agency. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Thomas lives in Sheffield, where he watches lower-league football most weekends. “Football writing is about the decisions, not just the result.”
