trump: Spain won the World Cup, but Trump says America was a winner too
Speaking at the FIFA reception held at Trump Tower in New York on Friday, Trump said, “We have turned out to be a football country and I think it will remain that way.” “This really brought the world together.”
Also Read: Spain won the World Cup by beating Argentina 1-0 with a goal from Ferran Torres in extra time.
For the White House, Sunday’s game was the culmination of more than a year of logistical challenges, with Canada and Mexico hosting the biggest World Cup in history. The Trump administration needed to balance strict immigration policies that banned fans from some countries participating in World Cup qualifiers from entering the United States.
Spain won the tournament by beating reigning champion Argentina 1-0.
After Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented them with the trophy, Trump stood next to the team, which was jumping up and down and gold confetti was flying out of a cannon.
Speaking to reporters later at Joint Base Andrews, Trump stated that he was proud of the country’s success as a host and said, “People came from all over the world and they love our country.” He described the final as a close and exciting match and praised Spain for their outstanding performance. He arrived at Sunday’s final flying in the presidential helicopter, Marine One. Before the match even started, Trump nudged Infantino by suggesting that the United States make another bid to host the tournament.
Also Read: Lionel Messi: Two decades of genius, heartbreak, redemption and a legacy that will live on beyond football
“I had a great idea for Gianni: You should do two countries. Next time, announce us again and then announce another country. That will take away some of the anger and shock,” Trump said on Fox Sports. he said. “We will immediately request again based on the numbers.”
The president refused to pick a side in the final but said it would be difficult to beat Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi. Trump closely examined the World Cup trophy presented to him in the box seat at halftime. Video footage shows the president smiling and caressing a golden trophy held toward him. Also in the box were First Lady Melania Trump and Infantino.
Football fans enjoy US culture despite warnings
The White House has faced warnings from human rights groups and the tournament has faced backlash over high ticket prices. For months, Trump flirted with the idea of moving the games out of cities that were uncooperative with federal immigration authorities, and in the weeks before the tournament began, local officials squabbled with FIFA over high transit costs, further fueling tensions.
As the first matches prepared to begin, the management continued to find itself under global scrutiny for visa decisions such as denying entry to a Somali referee who had won praise for his refereeing. The pressure increased after Trump launched a war with Iran and the administration had to grapple with an Iranian team whose supporters and some support personnel were barred from entering the United States and were ultimately across the border in Tijuana.
But the overall story of the World Cup eventually changed. Social media has been flooded with stories of football fans from around the world enjoying the treats and traditions of the United States, from beer to ranch dressing. Some previously circulated fears about the Trump administration, such as the threat of a raid on immigration enforcement near the Games, never materialized.
“One of the things we talked about before was that if we’re talking about what’s happening on the field, then we’ve done our job,” Andrew Giuliani, director general of the White House FIFA Task Force, said in an interview with The Associated Press. he said. “But I think it’s even better than that. We’re not just talking about incredible athletic feats on the field, but we’re also talking about all these incredible, incredible cultural moments.”
Still, Trump stirred controversy earlier this month with a phone call to Infantino in which he asked for an investigation into the controversial referee call in Team USA’s game against Bosnia-Herzegovina. The referee gave star US forward Folarin Balogun a red card, meaning he could not play in the next match against Belgium.
Trump said he asked Infantino, who has been close to the US president and faced backlash for doing so, to reconsider the call. FIFA later reneged on that call, and Trump told Infantino at the FIFA reception on Friday, “You made another great decision, if you think about it,” because it allowed the United States to keep a key player on the field despite losing the game 4-1 against Belgium.
Giuliani said management had a “duty” to ask questions and raise concerns about the management process, which was subject to review for the use of video review and slow-motion replay to issue red cards. He noted that the Trump administration is investing billions of dollars in federal funds to ensure the World Cup is “not just a safe and secure event, not just a place where we welcome the world, but an event filled with integrity.”
More global sporting events coming to the US
The Trump administration has been under serious pressure to deliver a successful World Cup tournament because the United States will soon host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
The United States is also widely expected to be awarded the 2031 Women’s World Cup, but Giuliani said in the AP interview that part of getting those hosting duties would be to “actually ensure that women, and only women, play in the 2031 Women’s World Cup”; This is a reference to the Trump administration’s fierce opposition to transgender women participating in women’s sports.
The United States faced greater tensions with World Cup hosts Canada and Mexico. Upon his return to the White House, Trump announced that he would impose harsh tariffs on both countries and chose not to renew the trade agreement between the three countries, starting a new period of negotiations.
Trump on Friday threatened to impose taxes on Canada over wildfires that have damaged air quality in parts of the United States, including northern New Jersey, where the World Cup final is being held. He joked on Friday that FIFA should soon pick the United States for the World Cup, saying “we’ll leave out Mexico and Canada this time.”
Still, the attendance of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the final at Trump’s request was a sign that football could overcome some geopolitical tensions.
Trump presented the trophy to the eventual winner, as is customary for heads of state hosting the tournament. However, he did not give any hints in advance as to whether he had a preferred team.
Spain is known to annoy Trump with its reticence to meet NATO’s defense spending targets and its refusal to allow the United States to launch attacks on Iran from its bases. Meanwhile, Argentinian President Javier Milei is a favorite of the Trump administration; The US president goes so far as to threaten to cut aid to the country if Milei’s coalition does not prevail in legislative elections.
While King Felipe VI of Spain, Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez attended the match, Milei stayed at home, citing superstition.
