Amid FIFA’s many changes, the 2026 World Cup has been quite exciting, delivering some pleasant surprises in the results. However, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has opted for a rule change, deciding not to present the trophy alone for this edition. Unlike previous editions, FIFA decided to introduce numerous changes to the World Cup. The most noticeable was the expansion to 48 national teams, a move that initially left many fans unhappy. However, the tournament has turned out to be a pleasant surprise, producing unexpected results that have brought the excitement back. Alongside these changes, FIFA president Gianni Infantino will no longer present the trophy on his own.
In the last two editions of the World Cup, the trophy was presented solely by the president of the organization. Although the heads of state of the host countries were on the pitch, they did not take part in handing the trophy to the winning team. However, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has decided to return to the tradition established before 2018, meaning he will no longer present the trophy on his own.
United States President Donald J. Trump will accompany Infantino in presenting the trophy to the winning team. Even though Mexico and Canada are also co-hosts, their heads of state will not take part in this protocol, being relegated to a secondary role. With this decision, FIFA returns to its history, as from 1934 until 2014 this was usually the norm, with a few exceptions.
“We will be together with the president, enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course, together. We are together all the time. That’s always been the plan—and that’s how it’s always been done in the past—for the president of the country hosting the final to present the trophy together with the FIFA president,” Gianni Infantino revealed, as per The Guardian.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks about the 2026 World Cup with U.S. President Donald Trump
Which country presidents have presented the FIFA World Cup?
Following FIFA’s decision, many fans have expressed their strong dissatisfaction, describing it as a political move rather than one related to the sport. However, this change is actually a return to a tradition that had been part of the organization for many years. As a result, United States President Donald J. Trump will not be the first to do so, but rather joins a long list of heads of state who have presented the World Cup trophy.
World Cup editionPresident1934- ItalyPrime Minister Benito Mussolini1966- EnglandQueen Elizabeth II1974- West GermanyPresident Walter Scheel1978- ArgentinaPresident Jorge Rafael Videla1982- Spain King Juan Carlos I1986-MexicoPresident Miguel de la Madrid1990-ItalyPresident Francesco Cossiga1994-United StatesVice President Al Gore (representing Bill Clinton)1998-FrancePresident Jacques Chirac2006-GemanyPresident Horst Köhler2010- South AfricaPresident Jacob Zuma2014-BrazilPresident Dilma Rousseff2026- United States, Mexico and CanadáPresident Donald J. Trump
Even though this practice was the norm for many years, there was a 32-year gap from 1934 to 1966. Rather than being the result of a decision by the organization, it was due to extraordinary circumstances, such as World War II, from 1938 to 1949. In addition, from 1950 to 1962, FIFA chose to present the trophy on its own to avoid political involvement, but this decision came in the aftermath of the war.