Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump presented the FIFA World Cup trophy to Spain on Sunday after the team defeated defending champion Argentina 1-0 in the tournament final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Following the match, the president joined FIFA President Gianni Infantino on the field to present the championship trophy. He remained with the Spanish players as they celebrated their victory while gold confetti filled the stadium.
Speaking later with reporters at Joint Base Andrews, President Trump praised the United States for hosting the tournament.
“All over the world, people have come and they love our country,” he said, describing the championship as a closely contested match and commending Spain’s performance.
The president arrived at the stadium aboard Marine One and, before kickoff, renewed his call for the United States to host another World Cup.
“I had a great idea for Gianni: You have to do two countries. Announce us again next time, and then announce another country after that. It’ll take out some of the anger and the shock,” he said during an interview with Fox Sports. “Based on the numbers, we will be requesting it again immediately.”
During the first half, Trump was presented with the World Cup trophy in his suite, where he was joined by First Lady Melania Trump, Infantino and other guests.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA World Cup Task Force, said the administration viewed the event as a success.
“One of the things that we talked about beforehand was, if we’re talking about what happened on the pitch, then we’ve done our job,” Giuliani told The Associated Press. “But I think it’s even better than that. We’re not just talking about only the incredible, athletic feats on the pitch, but we’re talking about all these incredible, incredible cultural moments.”
Giuliani also said discussions surrounding the anticipated 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup include the administration’s position that eligibility for the women’s tournament should be limited to biological females.
Despite ongoing trade disputes among the United States, Canada and Mexico, leaders from all three North American countries attended Sunday’s final. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney joined President Trump at the match after receiving invitations from the White House.
