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Trump at MetLife July 19
FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed that President Donald Trump will attend the World Cup Final and present the FIFA World Cup trophy to the winning team at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.
“- Published United States president Donald Trump will attend the World Cup final and help present the trophy, says Fifa president Gianni Infantino”
Infantino told Fox & Friends, "We will be together with the president enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course, together," describing the plan for Trump to be on the field for the ceremony.
The Bergen Record reported that Infantino said Trump will be part of the post-match trophy presentation July 19 in East Rutherford at MetLife Stadium, temporarily renamed New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament.
The BBC added that Infantino said Trump may still make an appearance before the final on 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, while noting Trump is yet to attend a game at the World Cup.
The BBC also said the World Cup started on 11 June and takes place in Canada, Mexico and the United States, framing the final as the tournament’s culmination across the host countries.
Co-presenting and past confusion
Multiple outlets described the ceremony as a departure from typical FIFA protocol, with ESPN saying the trophy will be jointly presented to the captain of the winning team by Trump and Infantino.
ESPN said, "We will be together with the president [Trump] enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course, together," echoing Infantino’s Fox & Friends remarks.
The Guardian reported that at the Club World Cup final last summer, Trump remained on the winners’ podium after handing the trophy to Chelsea’s Reece James, and James said, "I thought that he was going to exit the stage, but he wanted to stay."
The Guardian also quoted Cole Palmer saying, "I knew he was going to be here, but I didn’t know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy," capturing the confusion players felt during the earlier trophy lift.
Fox News said Infantino and Trump did the same last year at MetLife Stadium for the FIFA Club World Cup Final when Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3-0, with Trump remaining on stage for the celebration.
Security and tournament stakes
Fox 5 New York said the announcement raised questions about security restrictions for the match, noting that Trump’s visit to New York City for the Knicks NBA Finals series prompted a lockdown for parts of the city.
Fox 5 New York reported that MSG security for Game 3 required coordination involving the Secret Service, NYPD, and federal assets, and it said Midtown Manhattan saw barricades, street closures and a massive perimeter that slowed foot traffic around the arena.
The BBC said Infantino described himself as a close friend of Trump and reiterated, "We will be together with the president enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course," tying the planned attendance to the trophy handover.
Forbes said Infantino confirmed Trump will attend the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and jointly present the championship trophy to the winners, ending speculation about when Trump would finally make a tournament appearance.
The BBC also said the United States is hosting 78 of the 104 matches at the tournament, placing the final’s ceremony within a broader schedule across Canada, Mexico and the United States.
