As Trump appeared, booing surged to '84 decibels'... The winner's stage became a 'center of desire' → Eventually, the FIFA president led him away

*This content was translated by AI.

As U.S. President Donald Trump appeared at the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup final award ceremony, fierce booing erupted from the stands.

The Guardian reported on the 20th (Korean time) that "booing broke out as President Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino appeared on the field for the North America World Cup award ceremony," adding that "President Trump attempted to intrude into Spain's victory ceremony."

According to reports, President Trump watched the final between Spain and Argentina from a premium seat surrounded by glass alongside In Pan-ti-no (Chairman). This marked the first time the president witnessed the tournament's matches in person. Also present were key figures including King Felipe VI of Spain, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

When Trump's image briefly appeared on the stadium's large screen after the U.S. national anthem was played, some spectators booed. However, it was reported that the intensity was not as strong as the reactions he had received at previous sports events.

Since his re-election, President Trump has visited various sports venues, including multiple golf tournaments and college football championship games. Recently, he visited the home stadium of the New York Knicks during the third game of the NBA Finals, where he also faced fierce booing from home fans.

Until the final match that day, there was no major disturbance. However, once Spain's victory was confirmed and President Trump and In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) stepped onto the field for the award ceremony, full-scale booing erupted.

The Guardian explained that "according to the White House press corps, stadium noise, which had been around 78 decibels, instantly rose to 84 decibels when President Trump and In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) appeared." An 84-decibel level is comparable to a vacuum cleaner or lawn mower operating nearby.

Greater controversy arose afterward. This was because, even after handing over the championship trophy, President Trump remained on the podium and attempted to join the victory ceremony with Spanish players.

The media reported that "after presenting the World Cup trophy to the Spanish national team, President Trump stayed beside the podium and tried to celebrate the victory with the players," adding that "eventually, In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) quietly guided him off the stage."

This was not the first time President Trump attempted to remain on the victory ceremony stage of the winning team. Last year, at the Club World Cup final held in the same stadium, after presenting the trophy to the English club Chelsea, he did not leave immediately and tried to join the players in the victory ceremony. Photos even captured Chelsea players looking flustered by the unexpected situation.

It is not unusual for a host country's leader to participate in the World Cup final award ceremony. At the 2022 Qatar World Cup final, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani presented the championship trophy alongside In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) to Lionel Messi and the Argentine players.

At the 2018 Russia World Cup, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented the trophy to French star Kylian Mbappé and other players from the winning team.

However, throughout this tournament, President Trump remained at the center of various controversies and faced criticism. A representative case was the controversy over the reversal of the red card suspension for U.S. forward Paulo Dybala (AS Monaco).

When Dybala faced a crisis of being unable to play in the round of 16 due to his red card suspension, President Trump admitted to having personally called In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) to request a review of the punishment. Subsequently, FIFA unusually revoked Dybala's suspension.

This led to widespread criticism from the football community and fans, questioning whether political power had exerted undue influence on FIFA's disciplinary procedures.

The Guardian reported that "such political controversies cast a shadow over the U.S. national team's World Cup journey, which had generated high expectations," adding that "the United States ultimately finished the tournament after losing to Belgium."

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*This content was translated by AI.