Following Spain’s World Cup victory over Argentina, images shared on FIFA’s official social media accounts appeared to crop out President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The cropping occurred after Trump remained on stage after presenting the trophy to the winning team.
The pictures, which show the Spanish team holding the trophy at MetLife Stadium, seem to have been carefully edited to exclude Trump, who was standing near the team during their celebrations. A photo posted by the Spanish team on Instagram immediately after the match also did not feature Trump, nor did a subsequent 20-slide post depicting the team’s celebrations.
Post-match trophy presentation
Trump’s presentation of the trophy was described by some commentators as awkward. Infantino reportedly attempted to guide Trump away from the team as they lifted the trophy and confetti was released from cannons. This incident was not the first of its kind involving Trump and Infantino at a trophy presentation.
Last year, a similar situation occurred when they presented the Club World Cup trophy to Chelsea. While Infantino moved out of the frame, Trump remained prominently in front and center as the team lifted the trophy. Chelsea captain Reece James stated at the time that he was informed Trump would “present the trophy, and then exit the stage.” Player Cole Palmer expressed confusion regarding the incident.
The World Cup final saw Spain defeat reigning champions Argentina by a single goal in overtime. This victory marked Spain’s first since 2010 and prevented Argentina from becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win consecutive titles. During the final moments of the match, Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez was sent off with a red card after a tackle on Spain’s Pau Cubarsí.
Controversies surrounding the tournament
Throughout the World Cup, Trump and Infantino faced various controversies. Some FIFA fans accused Infantino of aligning himself with Trump in anticipation of the United States hosting the tournament. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter had previously described the organization as a “dictatorship” in February and accused Infantino of being “submissive” to Trump.
A controversy also arose after Trump reportedly called Infantino before FIFA lifted a red card suspension for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun, though Trump denied telling Infantino what to do. Infantino has also faced accusations from some fans that FIFA favored Argentina and its star player, Lionel Messi. Allegations of FIFA favoring Argentina have existed for years, gaining renewed attention this year after Argentina’s controversial win against Egypt, which led the Egyptian team to question “consistency and fairness.”
The final match itself was described by some as a “desperate grab for attention” from the US president. Argentina’s performance in the final was noted for a lack of ambition and quality, with no shots in regulation time and no shots on target throughout the entire 120 minutes. Enzo Fernández’s red card added to the team’s difficulties.
The tournament, which featured more teams, matches, and hosts than previous editions, was proclaimed by Trump as “one of the greatest events of any kind ever held.” Despite the increased scale, some of the 104 games were perceived as a struggle. The World Cup concluded on Sunday with Spain’s victory over Argentina.
Source: forbes.com