Trump could personally hand the trophy to the world champions: FIFA protocol under scrutiny again
U.S. President Donald Trump could have one of the most prominent roles in the closing ceremony of the 2026 World Cup, a competition being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico. According to British outlet talkSPORT, Trump, with the permission of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, is expected to personally hand the trophy to the captain of the national team that wins the world title on 19 July 2026. This is a ceremonial detail that goes beyond the usual protocol presence of the head of state of the host country, because in that case the U.S. president would be directly involved in the very moment of presenting the most important trophy in world football. FIFA has not published the full scenario of the closing ceremony in its official announcements, so the report is currently based on media coverage, but it fits into the increasingly visible role of the Trump administration in preparations for the tournament. Particular attention is being drawn by the possibility that Trump, after handing over the trophy, could remain on the stage during the first moments of celebration by the winning team, something already seen in the final of the Club World Cup.
An announcement that could change the final television shot
According to information published by talkSPORT, Trump has been left to decide during the final ceremony whether he will withdraw from the central stage after handing over the trophy or remain alongside the winning national team. The usual practice at FIFA ceremonies is for the trophy to be placed on a special pedestal, after which the captain of the winning team lifts it in front of teammates, fans and television cameras. For decades, such a shot has been considered one of the most recognizable moments in world sport, because it places the players and the national team that won the tournament at the center. If Trump really does personally hand the trophy to the captain and remain in the frame, the final image of the World Cup would have a far more pronounced political dimension than is usual. At this moment, it has not been officially confirmed whether the ceremony will unfold in exactly that way, but the report has already opened a debate about the boundary between protocol, hosting duties and political visibility at major sporting events.
Such a development would not mean that Trump has no right to touch the trophy. In earlier official materials about the World Cup trophy, FIFA stated that only a very limited circle of people may hold it, including former World Cup winners and heads of state. As president of a country that is one of the tournament hosts, Trump would fall into the category of people allowed to handle the original trophy. What is controversial, or at least unusual, is not only touching the trophy, but the possible format of the ceremony itself and the question of who occupies the central position at the moment when the winners celebrate the title for the first time. That is why the talkSPORT report refers not only to protocol, but also to the symbolism of the tournament’s closing scene, watched by a global audience.
A reminder of the Club World Cup final and Chelsea’s celebration
The reason this topic has attracted so much attention lies in an event from July 2025, when Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain 3:0 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford in the FIFA Club World Cup final. In its official report, FIFA stated that Cole Palmer, with two goals and an assist, was the key player of the match, while João Pedro scored the third goal for the London club. After the match, Trump, together with Infantino, took part in presenting the trophy to Chelsea captain Reece James. Reuters photographs and reports by several international media outlets recorded that Trump remained alongside the players while James lifted the trophy, even though Infantino withdrew from the central part of the stage. The scene quickly became one of the most commented-on moments of the final, not only because of the result and Chelsea’s convincing victory, but also because of the way the U.S. president found himself at the very center of the team celebration.
According to reports from that period, some players appeared surprised because it was not clear whether Trump would step aside before the trophy was lifted. Sky Sports reported at the time that Infantino looked as if he was trying to encourage Trump to move away so Chelsea could lift the trophy on their own, while Reece James later described in media comments that the atmosphere was very loud and that he did not hear everything being said on the stage. In its report on the final, ABC noted that Trump handed the trophy to Chelsea on the pitch, and a Reuters photograph from the final shows him watching as James lifts the trophy surrounded by teammates. Although this is not the same competition nor the same historical significance, that scene has now become a reference point for the discussion of what the ceremony on 19 July 2026 could look like. If a similar shot is repeated after the World Cup final, the impact will be incomparably greater.
The final of the biggest World Cup so far
According to FIFA’s official schedule, the 2026 World Cup final will be played on Sunday, 19 July, at the stadium that FIFA refers to for the purposes of the tournament as New York New Jersey Stadium, namely MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. Official stadium information states that the final is scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m. local time, and stadium gates are expected to open from 11 a.m. FIFA previously announced that the tournament will open on 11 June 2026 in Mexico City and that, for the first time in history, 48 national teams will take part. The new format brings 104 matches, 12 groups and an additional round of 32 knockout stage, making this championship the largest in the history of the competition. Because of the scale of the tournament, the schedule across three countries and the large number of matches, the closing ceremony in New Jersey will be one of the most demanding moments of the entire championship in both organizational and security terms.
MetLife Stadium has a special place in this story because it already hosted the 2025 Club World Cup final, but also because it will host several World Cup matches before the final itself. The stadium’s official website states that the New York/New Jersey region will host five group-stage matches, two knockout-stage matches and the tournament’s final match. That means the same stadium will, within the space of a year, be the stage for two of FIFA’s most visible finals in the United States. For FIFA, this is an opportunity to demonstrate the organizational stability of the American part of the hosting arrangement, while for the White House it is an event that overlaps with the marking of the 250th anniversary of the United States. In such a context, every protocol detail, including the presentation of the trophy, takes on a broader meaning than that of a usual sporting ceremony.
Close relations between FIFA and the White House
Trump’s potential role in presenting the trophy comes after a series of public meetings and institutional moves that have linked the White House, FIFA and preparations for the tournament. A presidential action from March 2025 established the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026, with the U.S. president designated as chair and the vice president as his deputy. The White House states that the task force’s job is to coordinate federal preparations in the areas of security, transportation, tourism and interagency cooperation. The task force’s official website also states that Andrew Giuliani has been appointed executive director and is leading operational preparations for an event the administration describes as the largest World Cup in history. This shows that the U.S. government is treating the tournament not only as a sporting event, but also as a major state, security and economic project.
FIFA has also officially announced that the final draw for the 2026 World Cup is scheduled for 5 December 2025 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, and the decision was announced at the White House by Trump and Infantino. These events further strengthened the impression that the U.S. president has a far more visible role in the public presentation of the tournament than is usual for political leaders of host countries. International media, including Business Insider and The Guardian, have meanwhile written about the close relationship between Infantino and Trump and about criticism that FIFA is moving ever closer to the political stage. Those assessments do not change the formal fact that the host country is an important partner of FIFA, but they explain why the announcement about the trophy presentation is drawing attention even beyond sports sections. In the final stage of the tournament, FIFA will have to balance state protocol, the interests of the host and the expectation that footballers remain the center of attention.
The trophy as a sporting and political symbol
The World Cup trophy is not an ordinary winners’ cup, but one of the most strictly guarded and most recognizable objects in global sport. In its text on the history of the trophy, FIFA states that the current cup has been used since 1974, after Brazil permanently received the Jules Rimet Trophy by winning its third title in 1970. It is made of 18-carat gold, is just under 37 centimeters tall and depicts two human figures lifting a globe. The original does not remain permanently with the winners, but after ceremonies returns to FIFA’s control, while the champions are awarded a replica. Because of that status, every moment in which the trophy is brought onto the pitch, placed on a pedestal or handed to the winners is carefully choreographed.
That is precisely why the question of who hands over the trophy and who remains beside it in the final shot has broader significance. In sporting terms, the ceremony should mark the peak of a multi-year cycle of qualifiers, preparations and tournament matches. In television terms, it is an image broadcast around the world and one that often becomes the championship’s lasting visual record. In political terms, the inclusion of the host country’s president can be presented as a normal part of state protocol, but also as a move that increases the visibility of a political leader at the expense of athletes. Because of the experience from the Club World Cup final, the public is now watching with particular attention to see whether FIFA will define more clearly in advance how participants move on the stage and whether the impression of improvisation at a key moment will be avoided.
The broader context of a tournament played in three countries
The 2026 World Cup is the first to be jointly organized by three countries, with matches played in 16 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In its official announcements, FIFA emphasized that the schedule was designed to reduce unnecessary travel by teams and fans, but the scale of the tournament still brings major logistical challenges. In the United States, according to FIFA’s schedule, most matches will be played, including the final part of the tournament, while Canada and Mexico have important roles in the group stage and in opening the competition. In its materials, the White House highlights expected economic effects, including tourist spending, new jobs and increased visibility for American host cities. Critics, on the other hand, have warned in international media about issues of ticket prices, security procedures, travel and political influence on the tournament.
In such an environment, the closing ceremony will not be an isolated protocol detail, but part of the broader picture of how the world’s biggest football tournament presents itself to the public. FIFA has experience in organizing major finals, but the 2026 tournament brings a new format, a larger number of national teams and an even stronger connection between sport and state institutions. If it is confirmed that Trump will personally hand the trophy to the world champions, that decision will probably be presented as recognition of the host country and its role in organizing the event. At the same time, every move he makes on the stage will be viewed through the prism of the earlier Club World Cup final, his relationship with Infantino and the debate over how visible political actors should be in moments that traditionally belong to the players. The final answer to that question will be given by the ceremony itself in New Jersey, when sporting protocol, state symbolism and a global television spectacle meet in the few minutes that will mark the end of the championship.
Sources:
- talkSPORT – report on Donald Trump’s announced role in presenting the trophy at the 2026 World Cup final (link)
- FIFA – official schedule, format and basic information about the 2026 World Cup (link)
- MetLife Stadium – official information about the 2026 World Cup final in the New York/New Jersey region (link)
- FIFA – history and significance of the World Cup trophy (link)
- FIFA – official material on the rules for handling the original trophy during the Trophy Tour (link)
- FIFA – official report on the 2025 Club World Cup final between Chelsea and PSG (link)
- Reuters Connect – photograph and description of the moment Reece James lifts the trophy while Donald Trump watches during the Club World Cup final (link)
- ABC News Australia – report on the Club World Cup final, Chelsea’s victory and Trump’s role in presenting the trophy (link)
- The White House – presidential action establishing the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026 (link)
- The White House – official page of the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026 (link)
- Sky Sports – report on the Chelsea and PSG final and reactions to Trump’s presence during the trophy lift (link)
- Business Insider – analysis of the political and organizational context of the 2026 World Cup and FIFA’s relationship with Trump (link)
- The Guardian – report and context on criticism directed at FIFA and Gianni Infantino ahead of the 2026 World Cup (link)