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The White House has confirmed that President Donald Trump will be present at Sunday's World Cup final.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino had previously announced plans for both Trump and himself to jointly present the trophy at the marquee event at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, mirroring what occurred at last summer's Club World Cup. Nevertheless, Trump has been notably absent from matches throughout this year's tournament so far.
On Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump would be in attendance as Spain takes on defending champion Argentina for the championship.
"We look forward to the final match on Sunday, and I know the President looks forward to attending," she stated. "This is a fitting conclusion to a tournament that demonstrated America's capacity to host the world on the biggest stage."
When asked which team Trump would be supporting on Sunday, Leavitt responded: "I'm sure he'll have a fun answer for you."
She further confirmed that the US president is also set to attend a FIFA reception at Trump Tower in New York City on Friday.
Why Hasn't Trump Attended a World Cup Match Yet?
Earlier this week, Infantino also outlined his expectations for the US president to attend the World Cup final, telling Blue Sport: "Hopefully we'll present the trophy together in the final. That's always been the plan, and that's how it's always been done historically—the president of the host nation presents the trophy alongside the FIFA president."
On why Trump has yet to appear at any of the 102 matches played so far, Infantino added: "I suppose he still has a few other things to attend to ... And when he's at the stadium, people will ask, 'What's he doing there when there's so much happening in the world?' I remain in regular contact with him and his administration, which is doing an excellent job with the World Cup."
At the World Cup, it is traditional for the leader of the host country to attend the final and participate in the trophy ceremony.
At the 2022 World Cup, Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, joined Infantino in handing the trophy to Lionel Messi and Argentina. Prior to that, Vladimir Putin presented it to France at the 2018 World Cup in Russia—with the Russian leader famously taking shelter under an umbrella during a post-match rainstorm.
Trump did fulfill ceremonial duties at last summer's Club World Cup—also held at MetLife Stadium—where he was greeted with audible boos from the crowd before presenting the trophy to champions Chelsea.
A moment that went viral occurred during that presentation when Trump chose to remain on the podium among the Chelsea players as confetti fell, rather than stepping aside after handing the trophy to captain Reece James.
Speaking afterward, Chelsea star Cole Palmer commented on the moment: "I knew he was going to be here but I didn't know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy. I was a bit confused, yes."