President Donald Trump faced a chorus of boos from the crowd at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday. The jeers erupted twice during the evening, first when he appeared on screen and later as he walked onto the pitch, underscoring lingering public anger over his recent interference in the tournament.
Donald Trump gets booed at the 2026 World Cup final
Donald Trump was booed twice during the evening. Fans first turned on him when Fox cameras showed him in his private box shortly after Jennifer Hudson’s national anthem performance. The broadcaster cut away within seconds, but the crowd’s reaction remained audible even beneath an aerial shot of the stadium. Later, when Trump stepped onto the pitch with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the booes swelled again, clearly picked up in ambient recordings shared online.
Security at MetLife Stadium had already dismantled a larger demonstration earlier that day. The activist coalition Unitas Mundi had brought thousands of red cards for spectators to raise when Trump appeared. Organizers chose the cards for Trump’s controversial phone call to Infantino on July 1. That call followed American forward Folarin Balogun receiving a red card and suspension during a match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. At a subsequent White House press briefing, Trump confirmed he personally asked Infantino to reverse the ban. FIFA complied, sparking outrage (via Entertainment Weekly).
Spain claimed the trophy with a 1-0 victory over Argentina, and Trump joined Infantino and other dignitaries at the presentation ceremony. He draped medals around Spanish players before handing the trophy to captain Rodri. The moment grew seemingly awkward when Trump refused to leave the stage. Infantino gestured repeatedly for him to exit, but Trump wandered in the opposite direction, lingering near Spain’s players as confetti rained down. The scene closely mirrored the 2025 Club World Cup final, where Trump stayed on stage after Chelsea received their trophy.
