Trump Could Hand Trophy at MetLife for World Cup Final 2026
Donald Trump could hand the World Cup trophy directly to the winning captain at the world cup final 2026, with FIFA reportedly having no objection to the move at MetLife Stadium on July 19. The reported plan would put the U.S. president in the middle of the celebration and mark a break from normal FIFA trophy presentation protocol.
Trump and MetLife Stadium
reported that FIFA has no objection to Trump handing the trophy directly to the winning captain after the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19. The same report said the organization is willing to let Trump decide whether he wants to remain in the middle of the celebration when the trophy is lifted.
That would make the presentation different from the usual FIFA script. Trump stayed onstage when Chelsea captain Reece James lifted the trophy after Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 13, 2025.
Reece James and Chelsea
James’ trophy lift offers the clearest recent example of how the stage could look if Trump takes part again next July. In that final, Chelsea won 3-0 against Paris Saint-Germain, and Trump remained onstage as the celebration unfolded.
The comparison matters because the 2026 final is set for a different level of attention. The World Cup 2026 Official Draw took place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5, 2025, placing the tournament’s final-day presentation back in the center of the build-up.
FIFA Protocol at the Final
The reported arrangement would be a major break from normal FIFA protocol, where the trophy handoff is usually tightly controlled. Here, the question is not whether the final will be played at MetLife Stadium, but whether Trump will simply hand over the trophy or stay in the middle of the ceremony as it reaches its peak.
said Trump could decide whether he remains onstage when the trophy is lifted, leaving FIFA’s reported position aligned with a presentation that would place the president directly beside the winning captain at the moment of the handoff.
