Overview
- FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Fox & Friends that he and U.S. President Donald Trump will jointly hand the World Cup trophy at the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
- Multiple FIFA and news outlets corroborated Infantino’s statement on Tuesday, making the joint presentation an official, scheduled part of the closing ceremony.
- The decision departs from the last two finals, when the FIFA president alone presented the trophy, and recalls occasional past occasions when heads of state took part in award ceremonies.
- Reporting has documented Infantino’s intensive travel between tournament sites using a Qatar Airways‑linked Gulfstream G650ER, which critics say creates a large carbon footprint that clashes with FIFA’s sustainability talk.
- Coverage and public reaction have focused on political optics, ceremony protocol and environmental criticism, and FIFA has not announced any reversal or formal change to the plan.