Messi shakes hands with US President Donald Trump (Image: Getty)
Argentina’s Cristian Romero appeared to ignore US President Donald Trump’s handshake during the presentation of his runner-up medal at the 2026 World Cup final.
Ferran Torres scored the winning goal after Argentina was reduced to 10 men after Enzo Fernandes was sent off in the 93rd minute, and Spain defeated the defending champions 1-0 in extra time to win the World Cup.
But it was his actions after the match and during the World Cup trophy presentation that attracted more attention.
Despite coming off as a substitute in Argentina’s lackluster final, 28-year-old Tottenham defender Romero managed to make his mark on the game by appearing to ignore Trump.
In footage circulating on social media, Romero can be seen shaking hands with both FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who were on either side of President Trump. President Trump can be seen glaring at the US president in the center as he hands out medals to both teams.
It’s unclear whether the move was intentional or not, but many online believe it was a clear sign of disrespect.
President Trump’s awkward moment was the third in a hat trick of awkward moments for U.S. presidents. Just before kickoff, President Trump appeared on a giant screen inside MetLife Stadium.
The cheers that accompanied the national anthem were quickly replaced by boos, whistles and a chorus of jeers directed at the president, who arrived in a Marine One helicopter and dramatically flew over MetLife Stadium before the game started.
President Trump was keen to avoid a repeat of that high-profile moment with the New York Knicks, but his security team was leaving nothing to chance. F-16 fighter jets, military gunners and thousands of FBI agents were deployed to protect MetLife Stadium and the surrounding airspace.
The game was designated as a “Level 1” special event, the highest security classification in the United States, on par with the presidential inauguration or the State of the Union.
Things didn’t get much better after Trump’s game, and shortly after the final whistle of the 2026 World Cup, when it seemed like the entire stadium was reduced to a cacophony of boos and jeers, the celebratory Spaniards once again sided with the Argentines in the crowd.
Footage shared on social media showed a crowd heckling the 47th US president as he walked across the grass to the center of the pitch to present the World Cup trophy to Spain.
President Trump enters the field with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to present the World Cup trophy pic.twitter.com/qEIo327rcp
— Monica Alba (@albamonica) July 19, 2026
President Trump seemed oblivious to the noise in the audience, refusing to step off the podium after presenting Spain with the World Cup trophy, making his presence at the World Cup even more awkward.
After the final whistle, the Spanish players took to the podium individually to receive their medals and were presented with the World Cup trophy by US President Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino.
But instead of leaving after the presentation, Trump remained on stage as the celebration began, shaking hands with the players and pumping his fist in the air.
Coach Infantino appeared to be trying to pull a seemingly unsure Trump away from his team, but the US president remained standing to the right of his team during the celebration, overshadowing what was supposed to be Spain’s trophy-winning moment.
