Post by : Badri Ariffin

U.S. President Donald Trump will return to the FIFA World Cup spotlight on Sunday as he attends the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain at New York/New Jersey Stadium.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that Trump will sit alongside him during the final and will present the World Cup trophy to the winning team. Trump also handed over the trophy at last year's FIFA Club World Cup.

Trump Returns After World Cup Officiating Controversy

Trump's appearance comes only days after he said he had asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the red card shown to U.S. striker Folarin Balogun. The incident became one of the tournament's biggest controversies and sparked widespread debate over refereeing and fairness.

Despite the discussion, FIFA maintained that Trump had no involvement in the decision to suspend Balogun's red-card ban.

Trump and Infantino Praise Each Other at FIFA Reception

On Friday, Trump and Infantino attended a FIFA reception at Trump Tower in Manhattan, where FIFA opened an office last year following the tournament's record-breaking attendance during its biggest edition.

Around 300 guests attended the event, including Brazilian football legend Ronaldo, FIFA officials, and other dignitaries.

Speaking at the reception, Infantino thanked Trump for supporting the tournament. "This World Cup would not have been such a success without you," Infantino told Trump.

Trump also praised the tournament's success, saying: "It turned out we were a soccer country."

The two have regularly met, with Infantino visiting Trump several times at the White House's Oval Office.

Tournament Also Faced Political Challenges

The World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, also faced political attention before and during the competition.

A year before the tournament, several U.S. host cities faced concerns about how international visitors would be affected by Trump's immigration policies and travel ban affecting several countries.

Later, Trump suggested moving matches away from Democratic-controlled cities, but FIFA stated that such decisions were not under the authority of the U.S. president.

During Friday's reception, Trump also suggested that the United States should host another FIFA World Cup in the future, adding that next time it should do so without Canada and Mexico.

Broadcaster Prepares for Trump's Appearance

Trump's attendance at the final also presents broadcasting challenges for U.S. television network Fox Sports, which relies on FIFA's official world feed for match coverage.

Play-by-play commentator John Strong said the network has no control over whether cameras will show Trump during the match.

"We do take this world feed. So we're not in control of the pictures. And so whether or not there's a cutaway during the match to President Trump sitting next to Gianni Infantino, sitting next to whoever else, that's not our choice one way or the other," Strong said.

He added: "We also don't know when it's coming."

Strong also acknowledged that Trump's appearance is likely to divide viewers. "When it comes to President Trump, there are no neutral opinions," he said. "There's a lot of people in the audience who are super excited to see him at the game. And there's going to be a lot of people in the audience who maybe are less thrilled to have him on their TV screen."

Trump Continues High-Profile Sports Appearances

Over the past 18 months, Trump has regularly appeared at major sporting events while serving his second term as U.S. president.

He received a warm welcome from American fans during last year's Ryder Cup on Long Island, New York. However, his appearances have also drawn mixed reactions.

He was booed during Game 3 of the NBA Finals last month, and security arrangements linked to his attendance at last year's U.S. Open men's tennis final caused delays for fans entering the venue.

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