Will Trump Attend FIFA World Cup Final? Prediction Markets Fuel Speculation

Last Updated:June 09, 2026, 15:02 IST

Trump shares a close relationship with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who presented him with the FIFA Peace Prize at the draw ceremony last year.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to begin on June 11 in Mexico, the United States and Canada, featuring teams from 48 countries at the quadrennial showpiece. However, there is considerable buzz about US President Donald Trump making an appearance in the tournament finale.

From 48 teams, only two will compete for the gold FIFA trophy at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 19. Trump is already expected to play a major role in the World Cup-related events.

Trump attended the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final Draw in Washington, DC, in December 2025, where he was awarded the inaugural ‘FIFA Peace Prize’. However, Polymarket, the world’s largest prediction market, has suggested that there is an 86% chance the president will appear in the World Cup final.

Trump’s Relationship With FIFA

Trump shares a close relationship with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who presented him with the FIFA Peace Prize. Infantino has visited the White House many times and has attended international meetings with Trump since North America was chosen to host the 2026 World Cup in 2018.

Infantino has visited the White House many times and has attended international meetings with Trump since North America was chosen to host the 2026 World Cup in 2018. FIFA came under increasing scrutiny for politicising the sport with the award to Trump.

The first match of the World Cup will take place at Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca on Thursday, with co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa. Infantino has bullishly hyped the tournament as “the greatest show that the planet has ever seen."

However, the skyrocketing cost of tickets to the tournament has triggered a global backlash, which has left FIFA and Infantino struggling to mount a convincing public relations defence, which has attracted criticism from even Trump.

Trump has touted the 2026 World Cup as one of the biggest events of his second presidency. The tournament is also expected to be part of the celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of US independence in 2026.

The US president had previously threatened to move matches away from Democrat-led cities if he believed they were not safe. The US-Iran war has also loomed large over the tournament, where Iran is due to play three group games in the United States.

About the Author

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in int...Read More

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