Will Donald Trump present the World Cup trophy? Final process explained ahead of showdown between Spain and Argentina

Spain are set to face Argentina in the World Cup 2026 final on Sunday, a contest that will pit the European champions against the current holders and South American champions.

The pinnacle event at MetLife Stadium - known as New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament - will also see 39-year-old Lionel Messi's attack go head-to-head with 19-year-old Lamine Yamal's Roja, who have conceded just once this summer.

However, while the World Cup has served up some excellent matches in North America, it has also been mired in controversy on and off the pitch, and the final will be sure to deliver on that front, too.

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, will be at Sunday's game, and his participation in the trophy ceremony is sure to draw headlines.

Here, Sports Mole covers what you need to know about whether Trump will present the World Cup trophy, and the final process ahead of Spain's showdown with Argentina.

Why will Donald Trump be at the 2026 World Cup final?

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Much has been made of the relationship between Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino this summer, especially after Folarin Balogun's red card was suspended so that the USA striker could feature against Belgium in the round of 16.

Infantino also awarded the USA's 'commander-in-chief' the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize back in December 2025, a controversial decision that took some of the spotlight off the World Cup draw.

The appearance of a host nation's leader at the World Cup final is relatively standard procedure, as seen in 2022, when Qatari Emir Tamin bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani was part of the trophy presentation.

However, Trump's recent appearances at sporting events have drawn criticism, most notably during the Club World Cup in 2025 when he lingered during Chelsea's celebrations, and when he was booed by fans while attending this year's NBA finals.

Will Donald Trump present the World Cup trophy?

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Infantino announced back in June that he will be presenting the trophy at MetLife Stadium along with Trump, saying the pair would be "Enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course, together."

With that in mind, the ceremony could look a little different than in the past, given that a team's captain typically walks over to a podium and collects the trophy, before returning to the squad for the lift.

On Sunday, expect to see something similar to the 2025 Club World Cup lift, when Infantino and Trump carried the trophy to Chelsea's Reece James, and then clapped alongside the celebrating Blues squad.