U.S. President Donald Trump will hand the World Cup trophy to the tournament winners after the final on July 19, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said, underscoring the prominent role Trump is expected to play at the tournament's showpiece event.
Infantino and President Trump have forged a close relationship in the build-up to these finals, but Trump has made very few public pronouncements concerning the tournament since it began on June 11.
However, Infantino confirmed in an interview with Fox and Friends that the plan is for Trump to play a starring role in the trophy presentation ceremony at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, just as he did at last year’s Club World Cup final in the US which was won by Chelsea.
"We will be together with the president enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course,” Infantino said.
Asked if they would make the presentation together, Infantino added: "Of course, we are together all the time.”
At the Club World Cup final, Trump remained on the winners’ podium after handing the trophy to Chelsea’s Reece James.
"They told me that he was going to present the trophy and then exit the stage and I thought that he was going to exit the stage, but he wanted to stay,” said James afterwards.
Asked what Trump had said to him, James added: "To be honest it was quite loud. I couldn’t hear too much. He just congratulated me and the team for lifting the trophy and told us to enjoy the moment.”
Match-winner Cole Palmer had appeared bemused by the situation.
He said afterwards: "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. I was a bit confused, yes.”
