United States President Donald Trump will make FIFA World Cup history on Sunday by becoming the first sitting US president to personally present the World Cup trophy to the winning captain.
The White House has confirmed Trump will attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium, where he will join FIFA president Gianni Infantino during the trophy presentation ceremony.
Why is Donald Trump making a historic appearance?
Although the United States previously hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1994, then-president Bill Clinton did not present the trophy after Brazil’s victory over Italy. Instead, Vice President Al Gore represented the US government during the medal and trophy ceremony alongside FIFA president João Havelange.
That means Trump will become the first American president to hand over football’s most prestigious trophy to the world champions.
The joint presentation with Infantino also marks a departure from FIFA’s protocol at the last two World Cups.
How FIFA’s trophy presentation protocol has evolved
For much of the tournament’s history, heads of state or members of royalty from the host nation regularly presented the World Cup trophy.
However, FIFA presidents largely took over that responsibility between 1950 and 1962 before host leaders returned to the ceremony from 1966 onwards.
More recently, FIFA president Gianni Infantino personally presented the trophy at both Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, despite the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the podium.
By jointly presenting the trophy with Trump, FIFA is effectively reviving an older tradition that saw host nation leaders play a central role in the tournament’s biggest moment.
World leaders who have presented the FIFA World Cup trophy
| Year | Host | Presenter | Winners |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Uruguay | FIFA President Jules Rimet | Uruguay |
| 1934 | Italy | Benito Mussolini | Italy |
| 1966 | England | Queen Elizabeth II | England |
| 1974 | West Germany | President Walter Scheel | West Germany |
| 1978 | Argentina | President Jorge Rafael Videla | Argentina |
| 1982 | Spain | King Juan Carlos I | Italy |
| 1986 | Mexico | President Miguel de la Madrid | Argentina |
| 1990 | Italy | President Francesco Cossiga | West Germany |
| 1994 | United States | Vice President Al Gore | Brazil |
| 1998 | France | President Jacques Chirac | France |
| 2006 | Germany | President Horst Köhler | Italy |
| 2010 | South Africa | President Jacob Zuma | Spain |
| 2014 | Brazil | President Dilma Rousseff | Germany |
| 2018 | Russia | FIFA President Gianni Infantino | France |
| 2022 | Qatar | FIFA President Gianni Infantino | Argentina |
| 2026 | United States | Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino | Spain or Argentina |
Why is there a gap between 1934 and 1966?
The apparent gap stems from changes in FIFA’s ceremony protocol.
After the 1938 World Cup, World War II forced the cancellation of the 1942 and 1946 tournaments.
When the competition resumed in 1950, FIFA centralized trophy presentations, with FIFA presidents Jules Rimet, Arthur Drewry and Sir Stanley Rous presenting the Jules Rimet Trophy between 1950 and 1962 instead of political leaders.
The tradition of host nation leaders returning to the podium resumed at England 1966 when Queen Elizabeth II handed the trophy to Bobby Moore after England’s famous victory over West Germany.
Spain or Argentina to receive trophy from Trump
The historic presentation will take place after Sunday’s final, where reigning champions Argentina aim to defend their title against Spain.
If Argentina prevail, Lionel Messi could receive the trophy from Trump and Infantino. If Spain triumph, captain Rodri will become the first player to lift the World Cup trophy from a sitting US president.
Story first published: Friday, July 17, 2026, 11:15 [IST]
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