FIFA social media appears to crop Trump from Spain’s World Cup victory photos
Following Spain’s World Cup victory over Argentina, pictures shared on FIFA’s official social media accounts reportedly excluded Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino. The images, depicting the Spanish team celebrating with the trophy at MetLife Stadium, appeared to be cropped to remove Trump, who remained on stage after presenting the trophy. The former US president had lingered on the stage after the presentation.
The incident occurred after Spain secured their first World Cup title since 2010, defeating reigning champions Argentina in overtime. Argentina, who were aiming to be the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win consecutive titles, were down a player in the final moments after Enzo Fernandez received a red card for a tackle on Spain’s Pau Cubarsí.
Post-match celebrations and reactions
The Spanish team’s own Instagram post immediately after the match also did not feature Trump. Similarly, a 20-slide post later that Sunday night, showcasing the team’s celebrations, omitted him. Commentators described Trump’s trophy presentation as awkward, with Infantino reportedly attempting to guide him away from the team as they lifted the trophy and confetti was released.
This was not the first time Trump had remained on stage during a trophy presentation. Last year, he and Infantino presented the Club World Cup trophy to Chelsea. While Infantino moved out of the frame on that occasion, Trump stayed prominent as the team celebrated. Chelsea captain Reece James stated he was told Trump would “present the trophy, and then exit the stage,” while player Cole Palmer expressed confusion over the incident.
The World Cup final itself saw controversy, with Argentina’s performance drawing criticism. The team reportedly had no shots in regulation time and no shots on target throughout the entire 120 minutes. Enzo Fernández’s red card further compounded their difficulties. The full-time scenes were described as even more challenging for Argentina, with their reactions making earlier tactics in the semi-final against England seem mild.
Ongoing controversies surrounding the tournament
Trump and Infantino had faced controversy throughout the World Cup, with some FIFA fans accusing Infantino of aligning himself with Trump ahead of the tournament being hosted by the United States. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter had previously called the organisation a “dictatorship” and accused Infantino of being “submissive” to Trump.
Further controversy arose after Trump reportedly called Infantino before FIFA lifted US striker Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension, though Trump denied instructing Infantino on the matter. Infantino has also faced accusations from some fans that FIFA has favoured Argentina and its star player, Lionel Messi. These accusations gained momentum after Argentina’s win over Egypt, which led the Egyptian team to question the “consistency and fairness” of officiating.
Despite the controversies, Trump proclaimed the World Cup to be “one of the greatest events of any kind ever held.” The tournament was noted for being the largest ever, featuring more teams, matches, and hosts than previous editions. However, some of the 104 games, an increase from 64 in 2022, were described as a “slog.”
The tournament did feature notable moments, including Cape Verde’s performance and their near-miss against Argentina in the last 32. Belgium’s comeback against Senegal and England’s 6-4 victory over France were also highlighted. Mauricio Pochettino’s USA side was also mentioned before their co-hosting efforts concluded. The final match, described as a tired affair where the better team was stifled by one that reportedly refused to play, was seen by some as fitting for the tournament as a whole.
Wayne Rooney offered a succinct review of the World Cup half-time show, stating, “I like a lot of them artists, but I thought it was crap.”
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Source: forbes.com
Reuben Castle is the Sports News Writer at News GB, covering rugby union, golf and boxing with six years of reporting experience. He moved from print into digital sport news. He holds a degree in Journalism from Coventry University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Coventry, he follows the Open Championship and amateur boxing. “Accuracy first; the analysis can follow.”
