President Donald Trump was booed at the 2026 World Cup final on Sunday, adding to a pattern of hostile crowd reactions the president has drawn at major sporting events throughout his second term.

The moment came at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just after Jennifer Hudson performed the national anthem ahead of the championship match between Spain and Argentina. Trump appeared briefly on the stadium's jumbotron, seated in a box alongside first lady Melania Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and the crowd responded with audible boos. The broadcast feed quickly cut away to an aerial shot of the stadium.

Trump was booed a second time after the final whistle, as he made his way onto the field to help present the World Cup trophy to Spain, the tournament's champion.

A Pattern at Major Sporting Events

Sunday's reception continues a trend that has followed Trump at high-profile sports events over the past year. He was booed at last summer's FIFA Club World Cup final, also held at MetLife Stadium, when Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain. He drew a similar reaction more recently during Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden.

Trump has taken a hands-on interest in this year's World Cup. Earlier in the tournament, he acknowledged personally appealing to Infantino over a controversial red card issued to U.S. player Folarin Balogun, which was later rescinded ahead of the team's match against Belgium.

"You had unforgettable moments. Probably the most unforgettable is when they gave a gentleman, is it a red card? And I was forced to call Gianni and just make a recommendation. I said I'd like to wage a complaint," Trump said at a World Cup reception event in New York on Friday.

Trump's Role at the Final

Trump arrived at Sunday's match after flying over the stadium in Marine One. He watched the game from a luxury box alongside Infantino, with whom he has built a close relationship throughout the tournament, and later joined the FIFA president on the field for the trophy presentation.

Argentina's president, Javier Milei, has positioned himself as an ideological ally of the Trump administration and has appeared at U.S. political events alongside Trump in the past. Spain's government has maintained a more distant relationship with the administration.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Sunday's reception.

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