Trump will attend FIFA World Cup final, says White House; Argentina prez Milei to skip event

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said Trump will join him in handing the World Cup trophy to the winners after Sunday’s final

The White House on Thursday confirmed that US President Donald Trump will attend Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain at the New York-New Jersey Stadium, where he is expected to join FIFA president Gianni Infantino in presenting the trophy to the winners.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was looking forward to attending the final, which will be held at the stadium in New Jersey. “We look forward to the final match on Sunday, and I know the president looks forward to attending,” Leavitt told reporters at a press conference.“His attendance will cap what has been the most watched, most secure, and most successful World Cup in American history.”Leavitt said she did not know whether Trump had a favourite in the final, but encouraged reporters to ask the president himself. “I’m sure he’ll have a fun answer for you,” she said.Trump is also scheduled to attend a FIFA reception at Trump Tower in New York City on Friday.FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said Trump will join him in handing the World Cup trophy to the winners after Sunday’s final. Reiterating the plans in an interview with Swiss outlet Blue Sport this week, Infantino said: “Yes, hopefully we’ll present the trophy together in the final,” Infantino said. “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.”At the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani joined Infantino to present the trophy to Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates. In 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin handed the trophy to France captain Kylian Mbappé after the final in Russia.However, one of Trump’s biggest international allies, Argentine President Javier Milei, will not be in New Jersey for the showpiece match. Milei said he would instead watch Argentina’s clash against Spain from home, where he has watched the defending champions’ previous seven matches in the tournament, all of which ended in victory.When asked whether he would travel to New Jersey to watch the final alongside Trump and Infantino, Milei told Buenos Aires radio station El Observador: “No way.”“I’m going to keep watching all the games from Olivos,” he said, referring to the presidential residence.Milei said his decision was rooted in superstition, known in Argentina as “cábalas”, a set of rituals and habits that many fans believe can influence their team’s fortunes. He said he would also wear the same heavy jacket he has worn during Argentina’s winning run.“Since it’s cold and I don’t turn on the heat, I wear an oil company-branded jacket. The day of the Switzerland game, it made me really hot. I took it off, and they scored a goal against us. I put it back on and never took it off again.”