2026 World Cup: When Rodri asked Trump to leave the stage during the trophy presentation

After presenting the World Cup trophy to Rodri, Donald Trump seemed intent on staying with the Spanish team to celebrate their victory. However, the captain of La Roja discreetly asked the American president to step aside.

Donald Trump was one of the central figures in the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina. Present at MetLife Stadium in New York on Sunday, the American president watched the match from a box protected by bulletproof glass alongside Gianni Infantino, touched the trophy presented by Ronaldo, before going down onto the pitch for the official ceremony, to boos.

Despite the boos that accompanied his entrance and that of his friend and FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, the American president was all smiles, congratulating the Spanish, who defeated Argentina in a nail-biting finish (1-0 after extra time).

He had crashed the podium with the Chelsea players

After presenting the trophy to the winners alongside Gianni Infantino, Donald Trump performed a few steps of his signature dance. He even lingered on the podium for a photo, a little too long according to Rodri, who made it clear that he was waiting for the president to step aside before lifting the trophy.

This scene is reminiscent of one witnessed a year earlier, during the Club World Cup final, on this same pitch at MetLife Stadium. Having just presented the trophy for the new Club World Cup to the Chelsea players, his presence on the podium while the Londoners celebrated by dancing was, to say the least, surprising.

During this World Cup, Donald Trump only attended one match – the final – but he found himself at the center of a controversy during the tournament after confirming that he had called Gianni Infantino to have Folarin Balogun's red card overturned. This decision allowed the American striker to play against Belgium in the round of 16, a match ultimately won by the Red Devils (4-1).

Despite a deluge of criticism questioning the fairness of the competition, the American president considered it "perhaps the most successful sporting event in the history of the world." At a FIFA reception held at Trump Tower, the octogenarian leader also asserted that the World Cup had helped popularize soccer in the United States, where baseball, basketball, and American football remain the dominant sports. "It turned out that we are a soccer nation, and I think that will continue."