FIFA images appear to crop Trump from Spain’s World Cup victory celebration
Following Spain’s World Cup victory over Argentina, images shared on FIFA’s official social media accounts appeared to crop out President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The images depicted the Spanish team celebrating with the trophy at MetLife Stadium, with the cropping seemingly designed to exclude Trump, who remained near the team during their celebrations. This occurred after Trump had presented the winning team with the trophy and lingered on stage.
The Spanish team’s own posts on Instagram immediately after the match, and a subsequent 20-slide post later that Sunday night, also did not feature Trump. The president’s presence on stage during the trophy presentation was described by some commentators as awkward. Infantino reportedly attempted to guide Trump away from the team as they lifted the trophy and confetti was released.
Previous Trophy Presentation Incidents
This was not the first instance of Trump remaining on stage during a trophy presentation. Last year, when he and Infantino presented the Club World Cup trophy to Chelsea, a similar situation unfolded. While Infantino moved out of the frame, Trump stayed at the front and center as the team celebrated with the trophy. Chelsea captain Reece James stated after that game that he was informed Trump would “present the trophy, and then exit the stage.” Player Cole Palmer expressed confusion regarding the incident.
The interactions between Trump and Infantino have drawn attention throughout the World Cup. Some FIFA fans accused Infantino of aligning himself with Trump in the lead-up to the United States hosting the tournament. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, in February, referred to the organization as a “dictatorship” and accused Infantino of being “submissive” to Trump and seeking his favor.
Controversies Surrounding the Tournament
Further controversy arose after Trump reportedly called Infantino before FIFA lifted U.S. striker Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension. Trump, however, stated that he did not instruct Infantino on what action to take. Infantino has also faced accusations from some fans that FIFA has shown favoritism towards Argentina and its star player, Lionel Messi. Allegations of FIFA favoring Argentina have existed for years, but these claims gained momentum this year following Argentina’s controversial win against Egypt, which prompted the Egyptian team to question the “consistency and fairness” of officiating.
The World Cup final saw Spain defeat reigning champions Argentina with a single goal scored in overtime. This victory marked Spain’s first World Cup title since 2010. The win also prevented Argentina from becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to secure back-to-back titles. In the final moments of the match, Argentina played with one less player after Enzo Fernandez received a red card for tackling Spain’s Pau Cubarsí.
The tournament itself was described by Trump as “one of the greatest events of any kind ever held.” It was noted as the biggest World Cup to date, featuring more teams, more matches, and more hosts than previous editions. With 104 games, an increase from 64 in 2022, some matches were perceived as lengthy. The final match, where the better team was reportedly stifled by an opponent that avoided playing an open game, was considered by some to be fitting for the overall tournament experience.
The World Cup final was held on Sunday.
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Source: forbes.com