Trump to attend FIFA World Cup final on July 19: White House
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- White House confirmed Trump will attend Sunday's World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at New Jersey, his first tournament match after skipping all earlier games.
- Karoline Leavitt called it 'a fitting conclusion to the most watched, most secure, and most successful World Cup in American history' and announced Trump will attend a FIFA reception at Trump Tower in New York on Friday.
- Leavitt said she did not know whether Trump supports Argentina or Spain, noting he criticized Spain at a NATO summit last week for failing to help with the Iran war.
- Trump confirmed earlier this month he asked FIFA's Infantino to review a red card given to U.S. striker Folarin Balogun; FIFA suspended the one-game ban but the U.S. lost 4-1 to Belgium.
- Gianni Infantino announced in June that Trump would present the trophy to the winners, and awarded him a newly created FIFA peace prize at the World Cup draw in Washington last year.
- Trump sparked controversy at last year's Club World Cup final when he presented Chelsea's trophy but failed to leave the stage, later keeping a replica of the trophy in his office.
Why it matters: Trump's decision to skip every World Cup match but claim the finale and trophy presentation stage turns FIFA's closing ceremony into a political platform — and his public break with Spain over NATO burden-sharing during the Iran war means the White House cannot even publicly pick a side in the match he is attending.
