The 2026 World Cup is still in its opening week, but the final may already have its first source of potential controversy: Donald Trump on the winners’ podium.
According to a report by TalkSport, FIFA is expected to allow the U.S. president to play an unusually prominent role in the trophy ceremony after the World Cup final, including the possibility of handing the trophy directly to the winning captain and remaining onstage as the champions celebrate.
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The awkward moment from last summer, when Chelsea lifted the Club World Cup trophy. Could it happen again at the World Cup final?
(Photo: Buda Mendes / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)
Such a move would require a break from FIFA’s usual protocol. Traditionally, the World Cup trophy is placed on a dedicated stand during the ceremony, before a player from the winning team, usually the captain, takes it to the podium for the official lift.
This time, however, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has reportedly asked Trump in advance to present the golden trophy to the new world champions. Representatives from Mexico and Canada, the two other 2026 World Cup co-hosts, are also expected to take part in the closing ceremony, though their identities have not yet been confirmed.
The report said FIFA is prepared to leave Trump with the choice of whether to simply hand over the trophy and step aside, or remain on the podium with the winning team during the celebrations. White House officials reportedly believe he will choose to stay.
The scene would recall the awkward moment from last summer’s Club World Cup final, when Trump handed the trophy to Chelsea captain Reece James and then remained beside the players as they celebrated. Chelsea’s players appeared visibly unsure how to react, with Cole Palmer’s puzzled expression quickly becoming one of the most widely shared images from the ceremony.
Chelsea won that final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the same venue scheduled to host the 2026 World Cup final on July 19. The Club World Cup ceremony drew attention not only because Trump was present, but because he did not immediately leave the stage after the trophy presentation, turning what is usually a team-only celebration into a political-photo-op moment.
The expected World Cup ceremony has already drawn comparisons to the 2022 final in Qatar, when Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani placed a traditional black bisht on Lionel Messi before Argentina lifted the trophy. That gesture, meant in Qatar as a ceremonial honor, sparked debate among fans and commentators who felt it inserted the host nation into Argentina’s defining moment.
If Trump remains on the podium in 2026, the reaction may be even sharper. The World Cup trophy lift is one of the most symbolic rituals in global sports, usually reserved for the winning captain and his teammates. Any change to that choreography, especially involving a political figure, is likely to draw scrutiny from fans who want the moment to belong only to the players.
For FIFA, the decision also reflects the unusually close relationship between Infantino and Trump during the U.S.-hosted tournament. The final will be played in the New York metropolitan area, giving the U.S. president a central ceremonial role at the largest sporting event ever staged in North America.
Whether Trump ultimately steps aside or stays in the frame, the trophy ceremony may become one of the most watched moments of the tournament, and not only because of the team that wins it.