Nicolai Haugsted
The World Cup final will make a drastic change to tradition, regarding the US president.
Millions have been watching the World Cup unfold across North America, and billions around the world.
Players have made headlines. Surprise results have dominated discussions. Packed stadiums have delivered the spectacle FIFA hoped for.
One notable figure, however, has largely stayed away from the action.
That will soon change.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to attend the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19, according to Reuters.
According to Infantino, Trump will not just be watching from the stands.
The president is also expected to take part in the trophy presentation following the match.
“We will be together with the president enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course,” Infantino told Fox.
When asked whether the pair would jointly present the trophy, he replied: “Of course, we are together all the time.”
A tournament on home soil
The expanded World Cup is being hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the vast majority of matches taking place in American stadiums.
Despite that, Trump has yet to attend a single game.
Andrew Giuliani, who serves as executive director of the White House’s World Cup task force, recently suggested that scheduling has been the main reason for the president’s absence.
He also hinted that Trump enjoys keeping people guessing about his plans.
That has left open the possibility of a surprise appearance before the tournament reaches its finale.
Not Trump’s first sports spotlight
Major sporting events have increasingly become part of Trump’s public schedule.
Last week, he attended the UFC event hosted at the White House.
Earlier this year, he also became the first sitting U.S. president to attend an NBA Finals game.
That appearance generated headlines of its own after some spectators in New York responded with boos as he entered the arena.
A familiar face on the trophy stage
Football supporters may also remember another moment involving Trump and a major trophy ceremony.
During last year’s Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, he joined Chelsea captain Reece James for the presentation.
Players appeared to expect the president to leave the stage after handing over the trophy.
Instead, he remained alongside the team during the celebrations.
“They told me that he was going to present the trophy and then exit the stage and I thought that he was going to exit the stage, but he wanted to stay,” James later said.
If Infantino’s comments prove accurate, Trump will once again find himself at the center of football’s biggest stage when the World Cup reaches its conclusion next month.
