United States president Donald Trump will attend the World Cup final and help present the trophy, says Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
Trump, 80, is yet to attend a game at the World Cup, but may still make an appearance before the final on 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.The World Cup started on 11 June and takes place in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
“We will be together with the president enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course,” Infantino, now a close friend of Trump, told Fox.
Asked if they would make the presentation together, Infantino added: “Of course, we are together all the time.”
The United States is hosting 78 of the 104 matches at the tournament, which is also being held in Mexico and Canada.
Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House’s World Cup task force, told the Telegraph, external that Trump likes to “leave people watching” and is yet to attend a game because of his busy schedule.
Trump was at the UFC White House event last week, and was recently booed in New York as he became the first US president to attend the NBA Finals, watching game three which the eventual champions the New York Knicks lost 111-115 to the San Antonio Spurs.
Last summer, Trump remained on the winners’ podium at MetLife Stadium after handing the Club World Cup trophy to Chelsea’s Reece James, which caused apparent confusion to some of the players involved.
“They told me that he was going to present the trophy and then exit the stage and I thought that he was going to exit the stage, but he wanted to stay,” said James.
-BBC
