LOS ANGELES: US President Donald Trump will attend the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey on July 19 and present the trophy to the winners, FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced on Tuesday.
Speaking on Fox and Friends, Infantino said he would join Trump at the final and take part in the trophy presentation ceremony.
“We will be together with the president enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course, together,” Infantino said.
Asked whether they would jointly present the trophy, he replied: “Of course, we are together all the time.”
The World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19. The tournament, which began on June 11, is being jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The United States is hosting 78 of the tournament’s 104 matches, making it the principal host nation of the expanded competition.
Trump, 80, has yet to attend a World Cup match during the tournament. However, officials say he could still make appearances before the final.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House’s World Cup Task Force, told Britain’s Telegraph newspaper that Trump’s schedule had so far prevented him from attending games.
“President Trump likes to leave people watching,” Giuliani said, adding that the president’s busy calendar had limited opportunities to attend matches during the tournament.
Trump has continued to make appearances at major sporting events during his second term in office.
Last week, he attended a UFC event at the White House. He also became the first sitting US president to attend an NBA Finals game, watching Game Three in New York, where the eventual champions, the New York Knicks, were beaten 115-111 by the San Antonio Spurs.
