Spain Wins World Cup, Trump Faces Boos During Medal Ceremony

Donald Trump drew a hostile reaction from sections of the crowd during the medal ceremony following the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina. As the U.S. president walked onto the field alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino to present medals to the players, loud boos echoed around the stadium. Trump acknowledged the crowd by waving despite the negative reception.

The president watched the match from a VIP suite alongside Infantino, First Lady Melania Trump, Eric Trump, and Barron Trump. The box also included a number of high-profile political and sporting figures, among them Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and Andrew Giuliani. After the final, Trump praised the tournament, saying, "I don't think there's ever been anything like what happened with the whole World Cup. It was wonderful to watch."

Trump's appearance came against the backdrop of earlier controversies during the tournament. He faced criticism after holding a private conversation with Infantino and calling for a review of the red card shown to U.S. forward Folarin Balogun in the Round of 32. The suspension was later overturned, allowing Balogun to play against Belgium in the Round of 16, prompting accusations from fans that FIFA had shown favoritism. Trump defended his actions, saying, "All I did was ask for a review because I didn't think it was a foul. It wasn't even a foul." Despite Balogun's return, Belgium eliminated the United States with a 4-1 victory before its players mocked Trump's involvement by performing a celebratory dance resembling moves associated with his 2024 presidential campaign.

Relations between Trump and FIFA have remained under scrutiny throughout his second presidential term. During the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, he was accused of keeping one of Chelsea's championship medals while participating in the trophy presentation. Concerns also emerged over how the U.S. administration would host the World Cup amid stricter immigration policies and expanded travel restrictions. Before the tournament, 90 civil society organizations signed an open letter urging FIFA to press Washington to guarantee the rights of foreign visitors and immigrants. The letter stated, "We call on FIFA to use its influence to encourage the U.S. government to guarantee the fundamental rights of the millions of foreign visitors and fans." Later that year, however, FIFA awarded Trump its newly created FIFA Peace Prize, a move widely interpreted as an effort to strengthen relations with the White House after the Nobel Peace Prize went to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

On the field, Spain claimed its second World Cup title by defeating Argentina 1-0 after extra time. Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute, echoing Andres Iniesta's famous winner in the 2010 final. Like that triumph, Spain lifted the trophy after a scoreless 90 minutes and benefited from playing with an extra man after Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off before the end of regulation. Two Spanish goals in extra time were later ruled out, but Torres' strike proved enough to secure the championship.

The final was notable for its lack of attacking action. Argentina became only the second team in World Cup history not to register a shot during the first half of a final, while both sides combined for just three attempts before halftime, the fewest in a championship match since 1966. Lionel Messi struggled to influence the game, recording only 12 touches before the break, with only Julian Alvarez touching the ball fewer times among Argentina's starters. Spain controlled much of the play, with Dani Olmo standing out through a series of successful dribbles, while goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez denied Lamine Yamal late in regulation before Spain eventually broke through.

The defeat is expected to mark the end of Messi's remarkable World Cup journey. After winning the 2022 title and completing one of the greatest international careers in soccer history, the Argentine captain was unable to end his final tournament with another trophy. His 2026 campaign nevertheless saw him score eight goals, leaving him second in the Golden Boot race behind France's Kylian Mbappe.

Mbappe finished the tournament with 10 goals to claim his second consecutive World Cup Golden Boot after also winning the award in 2022. The Real Madrid forward scored twice in France's dramatic 6-4 victory over England in the third-place match, bringing his overall World Cup tally to 22 goals across three tournaments and making him the competition's all-time leading scorer. Reflecting on the individual honor after France missed the final, Mbappe admitted, "I would rather not be the all-time leading scorer and play in the final tomorrow."

While Argentina fell short of becoming the first nation since Brazil and Italy to successfully defend a World Cup title, Spain now turns its attention to 2030, when it will co-host the tournament with Portugal and Morocco and attempt to defend its newly won crown.