White House confirms Trump will attend World Cup final in New Jersey: 'A fitting conclusion'

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Thursday that President Donald Trump volition be Sunday's FIFA World Cup last astatine MetLife Stadium.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino archetypal said past period connected "Fox & Friends" that Trump would be the contest, but it is present official.

Leavitt said Trump's attendance volition beryllium "a fitting decision to a tourney that showcased America's quality to big the satellite connected the grandest stage."

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Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump arsenic helium receives the FIFA Peace Prize during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw. (Hector Vivas - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Infantino said helium and Trump volition present the FIFA World Cup trophy to the winning team's skipper connected the field.

"We volition beryllium unneurotic with the president enjoying the last and handing the trophy to the winner, of course, together," Infantino said.

Trump and Infantino did the aforesaid past twelvemonth for the FIFA Club World Cup final, besides astatine the New Jersey stadium, erstwhile Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3-0. The quality came 1 twelvemonth aft an assassination effort connected President Trump successful Pennsylvania.

The president participated successful the trophy presumption and handed retired awards to the players and referees aft Chelsea won the match. Trump remained connected signifier for the celebration, causing immoderate confusion.

"I knew helium was going to beryllium here, but I didn’t cognize helium was going to beryllium connected the basal erstwhile we lifted the trophy, truthful I was a spot confused," Chelsea’s Cole Palmer said aft the match.

Trump got progressive successful 1 of the World Cup's biggest controversies, calling Infantino and requesting a reappraisal of Folarin Balogun's reddish card. Balogun was promptly suspended for Team USA's round-of-16 match, but helium was aboriginal ruled eligible for the game.

President Donald Trump, Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico, and Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, airs for a selfie with Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, during the FIFA World Cup 2026 authoritative gully astatine the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts successful Washington, D.C., connected Dec. 5, 2025. (Hector Vivas/FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

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"All I did was, I asked for a review, due to the fact that I didn’t deliberation it was a foul," Trump said. "And again, I’m bully astatine this stuff. I didn’t deliberation it was a foul. I thought it was 2 large athletes who crashed into each different and got entangled. That was not a feline punching idiosyncratic successful the look oregon anything, that would beryllium different.

"I deliberation it’s a terrible… if they wouldn’t let a apical player, possibly the best, possibly among the champion connected the team, to play, I deliberation it would person had a large stain. I relayed it. I didn’t archer him what to do. I don’t judge helium made the decision. I deliberation it was a committee that made the decision, and they made the close determination because, No. 1, it wasn’t a foul, and you privation to spot a crippled with your champion players."

Balogun admitted to CBS that helium "could astir spot wrong my teammates a spot of nerves" arsenic the contention brewed further.

Trump has yet to be a World Cup match, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio was spotted astatine the U.S. Men's National Team's opener against Paraguay, a 4-1 win, connected June 12.

The president was awarded the archetypal FIFA Peace Prize astatine the Kennedy Center successful Washington, D.C., during the World Cup last gully successful December.

U.S. President Donald Trump receives the FIFA Peace Prize from Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw astatine John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts connected Dec. 5, 2025 successful Washington, D.C. (Jia Haocheng - Pool/Getty Images)

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Trump precocious attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals astatine Madison Square Garden, portion the White House played big to UFC Freedom 250 past month. An IndyCar contention volition instrumentality spot successful Washington, D.C. adjacent month.

Fox News' Ryan Gaydos, Paulina Dedaj and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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