Kathrine Frich
The man shared a very similar stocky build and hairstyle.
Live television always carries a bit of risk because you never know who might walk through the shot.
Usually, a background photobomb just gets a quick laugh before everyone moves on.
But when the person hovering in the frame looks exactly like the most famous man on camera, the internet goes wild.
Seeing double
Donald Trump was speaking to reporters after the 2026 World Cup final on Sunday. As the 80-year-old president praised the event, a mysterious figure appeared just over his shoulder.
The man shared a very similar stocky build and hairstyle. He even leaned forward with the exact same distinctive posture as the commander-in-chief.
This strange visual quickly caught fire online. According to the Daily Star, the footage reignited a bizarre conspiracy theory that the US president uses a secret body double for public events.
Social media users on X could not believe their eyes. One viewer wrote, “Oh no! There’s two of them.”
A family affair
Another poster joked about the massive ego involved in such a stunt. They wrote, “Trump needs a body double so one version can hog the World Cup spotlight while the other practices golf swings and ‘You’re fired’ faces for the cameras. Man’s ego requires backup singers now.”
However, internet sleuths soon stepped in to solve the mystery. The man was not a hired decoy at all.
Many pointed out that the figure was actually Viktor Knavs, the father of Melania Trump. One user explained the situation clearly on X.
“OK, OK, funny stuff,” the person wrote. “But the ‘body double’ is Melania’s father. DJT’s father-in-law is often invited to fun stuff.”
Late night laughs
The background distraction was not the only thing making waves from that post-match interview. The president also delivered a highly unusual summary of Spain’s victory over Argentina.
Speaking about the success of the tournament, Trump said, “I thought it was incredible. It was four-times greater than any FIFA ever held. It’s probably about five times, actually, they’re telling me today.”
That odd phrasing gave late-night hosts plenty of fresh material. Comedian Jon Stewart happily mocked the statement during his Monday broadcast of The Daily Show.
The 63-year-old television veteran laughed at the bizarre terminology. Stewart asked his audience, “What’s a FIFA? How do you hold a FIFA, how can our FIFA be ‘four-times greater’ than any other FIFA?”
Sources: Daily Star, X, The Daily Show
