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Donald Trump is to attend the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain and is set to present the trophy to the winning team alongside Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
The US president is yet to attend any of the 102 World Cup matches so far played across the United States, Canada and Mexico, but the White House confirmed that he will be present for Sunday’s final in New Jersey.
“We look forward to the final match on Sunday, and I know the president looks forward to attending,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “This is a fitting conclusion to a tournament that showcased America’s ability to host the world on the grandest stage.”
Trump’s biggest intervention at this World Cup came when he asked Fifa to “review” US striker Folarin Balogun’s one-match suspension before the last-16 match against Belgium, before hailing Fifa for “reversing a great injustice” when that ban was controversially suspended.
It created a political storm ahead of the knockout stage match, with Balogun later admitting that the intervention created a lot of “difficult noise” and “controversy” as the co-hosts crashed out following a 4-1 defeat.
Trump presented the Club World Cup trophy last summer when Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the New Jersey final and Fifa president Infantino has confirmed that he will hand the World Cup trophy to the winning team on Sunday.
“Yes, hopefully we’ll present the trophy together in the final,” Infantino told Swiss outlet Blue Sport. “That’s always been the plan, and that’s how it’s always been done in the past – the president of the country where the final is held presents the trophy together with the Fifa president.”
