President Donald Trump received boos from the crowd at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Trump appeared on the field alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino to present the tournament trophy to Spain following their extra-time victory over Argentina, 1-0.
The negative reception came amid controversy surrounding Trump’s involvement in overturning a suspension for U.S. soccer player Folarin Balogun. On July 6, Trump confirmed he had personally intervened by contacting Infantino to reverse a red card decision that had been issued to Balogun during an earlier match. The intervention allowed the player to compete in the Round 16 game against Belgium, though the U.S. team lost that match 4-1. The decision generated significant backlash, particularly from Belgium and its supporters.
According to reporting, the red card reversal was unprecedented in FIFA history, marking the first instance since 1962 that the organization had reversed such a card decision. Trump arrived at the stadium via Marine One, with the helicopter flying over the venue approximately 45 minutes before the match began. He watched the final from a VIP section behind glass alongside Infantino and other dignitaries, including Spain’s King Felipe VI, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.