Donald Trump is reportedly “expected” to join the winning team for the trophy lift at the FIFA World Cup final, just like he did for the FIFA Club World Cup final last year.
The US President caused consternation among the Chelsea squad last summer when he remained with the players after handing the trophy off.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attempted to usher Trump away, but the 80-year-old didn’t budge as the Blues celebrated their 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in New Jersey.
Donald Trump ‘expected’ to join World Cup trophy lift
Those scenes could be repeated at the World Cup final in July, with talkSPORT reporting that Trump has been “given licence” to join the trophy lift again.
The report claims that FIFA have “no objection to Trump breaking presentation protocol” and “wish him” to hand the trophy to the captain of the winning team next month.
The trophy usually remains on a plinth until the captain of the winning carries to the podium for the trophy lift. FIFA will “leave it to Trump’s own discretion” as to whether he stays with the team as he did last year or not, while White House insiders “believe” he will choose to join in the celebrations again.
Infantino has nurtured a very close relationship with Trump over the past few years ahead of this summer’s World Cup, which is being co-hosted in the US, Canada and Mexico. At the draw last December, Infantino handed American president the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize. The US began airstrikes on Iran three months later.
The World Cup final will take place at MetLife Stadium, renamed as the New York New Jersey Stadium for the duration of the tournament, in East Rutherford on Sunday, 19th July. The match will kick off at 8pm BST.
