Spain’s FIFA World Cup celebrations took an unexpected turn after US President Donald Trump became the centre of attention during the trophy presentation. A viral video showing FIFA President Gianni Infantino seemingly trying to move Trump out of Spain’s trophy-lift photo-op has sparked widespread discussion across social media.
A video circulating widely online shows FIFA President Gianni Infantino appearing to signal Trump to step away from the stage moments before Spain lifted the World Cup trophy. However, Trump remained in place, resulting in an awkward exchange that has since gone viral.
The clip, shared by Front Office Sports, carried the on-screen text: “During Spain’s celebratory trophy lift moment, FIFA president Gianni Infantino tried
and failed to get President Trump to move out of the photo-op.”
The accompanying caption similarly stated that Infantino “tried and failed” to move Trump away from the team’s celebratory photo opportunity after Spain’s World Cup victory.
According to Fox Sports, Trump was met with boos as he walked onto the pitch alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino for the post-match trophy presentation. The report stated that after Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final, Trump presented the trophy to Spain captain Rodri before remaining on stage as the players prepared to celebrate.
Fox Sports also reported that Trump received boos when he appeared on the stadium’s giant screen during the US national anthem before kickoff at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. He watched the final from a VIP suite behind bulletproof glass alongside Infantino, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, representing the tournament’s three host nations.
The publication further noted that heightened security surrounding Trump’s attendance caused lengthy delays for fans entering the stadium, drawing comparisons with similar disruptions reported during his visit to Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the NBA Finals last month.
The now-viral footage shows Trump and Infantino jointly handing the trophy to Rodri, who was also named Player of the Tournament. But instead of leaving the stage before Spain’s trophy lift, Trump remained in front of the cameras, much like he did during Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup celebrations last year. At one point, he was also seen performing his signature dance while standing near the celebrating players.
As the celebrations unfolded, Infantino walked across the stage and appeared to encourage Trump to move aside. However, Trump stayed where he was, while the FIFA president responded with what many viewers interpreted as an awkward laugh before stepping away himself.
The incident has generated intense discussion online, with social media users offering a mix of criticism, humour and sarcasm.
One user joked, “Thank god photoshop is so advanced!! Shouldn’t be an issue.”
Another wrote, “Gotta make everything about himself.”
A third imagined Trump’s perspective, writing, “Spain, they loved me. They loved me up there, they kept saying ‘why don’t you stay for the photo?’ and I was like, geez, maybe I should stay. And the crowd loved it, the people were cheering for me, they loved it, and quite frankly – everybody loved it.” His POV, probably.
Another commenter criticised the moment, saying, “Even with all the BOOOS directed at Trump he refused to leave the stage. He truly is a worldwide EMBARRASSMENT!”
Not all reactions were critical. One user remarked, “My man Trump, just telling the world, this is my town. NY swag.”
Another commented, “That’s just called being AMERICAN , has to be all about them 🤣🤣🤣😜”
Referencing a previous football celebration, another user wrote, “He did this first when Chelsea won club world cup last year. He was standing there like he is part of the team.”
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