In what is supposed to be the best and most-watched competition in world football, the 2026 World Cup is running the risk of losing its authenticity. Set to be hosted in Mexico, Canada and the United States, FIFA figurehead Gianni Infantino has now handed the US President, Donald Trump, a special role for the tournament’s final on July 19.
Lionel Scaloni and his Argentina side will be hopping on the plane in pursuit of victory, willing to do everything in their power to ensure they retain their status as the best team in international football, but there will be plenty of sides wanting to lift the prestigious trophy aloft at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Who will reign victorious at this summer’s international showpiece remains to be seen, but one thing for certain – and that is Trump, whose increased involvement has caused issues for supporters, will be at the forefront from start to finish. That was the case during Chelsea’s Club World Cup victory and the President’s new role for the World Cup is a cause for concern.
World Cup 2026 Power Rankings
England, Spain and France feature in the top 10.
Trump’s Special World Cup Role Announced By FIFA President Gianni Infantino
Trump, unusually for a President, has been very involved in the build-up to the World Cup in a few months’ time. His Mexican counterpart, Claudia Sheinbaum, and Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada, have enjoyed roles outside the spotlight – but that hasn’t been the case for the 79-year-old American, who has put a safe tournament into doubt.
In fact, Conservative former minister Simon Hoare suggested that UK nations should refuse to take part in the World Cup due to Trump’s antics when speaking in the House of Commons on Monday night.
After Hoare asked Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step in, England and Scotland are not the only two sides with doubt hanging over their participation. None other than Piers Morgan has urged France, Spain, Germany, Portugal and the like to pause their participation while the various tariff negotiations are ongoing with Trump.
Irrespective of whether nations do decide to boycott the 23rd instalment of international football’s biggest competition, Trump will certainly boast an important role.
Infantino was a speaker at the Davos Kick-Off for the 2026 World Cup, which coincides with the World Economic Forum, and he announced that Trump – the inaugural winner of FIFA’s Peace Prize during the competition’s draw in Washington in December – would be in close quarters when the winner hoists the trophy in July.
In fact, Infantino has confirmed that Trump, who is in his second term as US President, will co-present the World Cup title to the winners in July. “This trophy will be handed out on the 19th of July to the captain of the team who will win the World Cup,” Infantino said. “I will give it together with the President of the United States, the host country. Nobody can touch this trophy.”
According to set-in-stone FIFA rules, only a select few (usually just the winners and heads of state) are allowed to touch the World Cup trophy, though it seems that Trump also falls among those eligible.
No stranger to gate-crashing trophy presentations, Trump wanted to be front and centre in the summer of 2025 when Reece James and his Chelsea teammates wanted to lift the Club World Cup in peace. He also presented Cole Palmer, who is widely regarded as one of the best players in the Premier League, with the Club World Cup Player of the Tournament award.
How FIFA Feel About Trump Being Handed Peace Prize
This is not the first time FIFA have tried to pamper Trump’s need to be the centre of attention. Without explaining how the winner was chosen, the American chief was handed the Peace Prize award in November 2025 – and that came after he missed out on the Nobel Peace Prize. “You definitely deserve the first FIFA Peace Prize for your action, for what you have obtained – in your way – but you obtained it in an incredible way,” Infantino said while handing over the inaugural award to Trump.
“And you can always count, Mr President, on my support, on the support of the entire football community, or soccer community to help you make peace and make the world prosper.”
An insider, though, has now revealed how FIFA feels about handing the award to the US President. Speaking to The Guardian, a FIFA source believes there’s a feeling of ‘deep embarrassment’ from multiple officials, while they also expressed a sense of unease about the way it was all handled.
Two Major 2026 World Cup Nations Make Boycott Decisions After Donald Trump Threats
The 2026 World Cup has been marred with calls for several European nations to boycott due to Donald Trump’s controversial actions.
That said, a figure of football’s leading governing body have reaffirmed their decision to award Trump the award and they also failed to comment on “hearsay.” A FIFA spokesperson said: “FIFA strongly supports its annual peace prize, an award to recognise exceptional actions for peace and unity. FIFA notes the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recipient [the Venezuelan opposition leader, María Corina Machado] has given her medal to President Trump.”
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