Former US President Donald Trump announced on June 10 that he plans to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, scheduled for July 19, 2026, in the United States [1, 2]. FIFA president Gianni Infantino expects Trump to present the trophy to the winning team at the final, which will take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey [1, 2]. Trump confirmed his attendance simply by stating, "I will, I will" [1].
Trump took credit for successfully securing the joint bid for the 2026 World Cup during his first presidential term, highlighting his connection to the event. He said, "I spoke to Gianni this morning... he said there’s never been anything close to the success of the coming tournament" [1].
Infantino and Trump share a close friendship, with the FIFA chief having awarded Trump a special peace prize in December 2025 [1, 2]. The last time Trump presented a major FIFA trophy was at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final held also at MetLife Stadium, where he was booed by parts of the crowd [1, 2].
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with the US hosting the final match [1, 2]. However, the tournament has faced several off-field controversies, including high ticket prices and strict US immigration enforcement that has barred some fans, officials, and even a Somali referee from entering the country [1, 2]. Trump addressed those issues by saying, "We’re working on it very closely to ensure the right people come into our country" [1].
The World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium remains the next major scheduled event where Trump is expected to appear publicly and present the trophy to the champion [1, 2].