Donald Trump was booed by fans seconds after the national anthem during the 2026 World Cup final at MetLife Stadium.
US President Donald Trump is booed by fans inside MetLife Stadium during the World Cup final (Image: (Photo by Eva Marie Uzcategui – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images))
Fans in Argentina and Spain made their feelings toward President Donald Trump clear when they booed him when he appeared on screen during the World Cup final. Trump did not appear at the World Cup until the finals, causing a huge headache for those watching the games.
Federal agents, local police and private security companies have reportedly been planning Sunday’s security operation for about two years in hopes that the president will attend the tournament’s marquee event. However, amid precautions taken in response to President Trump’s decision to attend, technical issues forced many spectators and members of the media to enter MetLife Stadium through lengthy delays.
This, coupled with the involvement with FIFA and the overturning of Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension, resulted in a mixed reaction.
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Just before kickoff, just seconds after the national anthem, 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 is designated as a “Level 1” special event, the highest security category in the United States, on par with the presidential inauguration or the State of the Union.
US President Donald Trump was booed (Image: Getty Images)
From Friday until Sunday’s World Cup final, the New York and New Jersey area will have a strictly enforced no-fly zone, snipers will be stationed on the stadium roofs and a heavily fortified perimeter will cause significant delays for supporters.
When the final whistle blows and Spain or Argentina emerge victorious, President Trump is expected to join FIFA president Gianni Infantino to hand over the iconic World Cup trophy to the victorious captain.
The 80-year-old was part of Chelsea’s trophy-lifting celebrations after defeating Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final last summer.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Infantino have developed a surprisingly close bond, unlike any seen before between a FIFA president and a world leader, culminating in the awarding of the unusual first FIFA Peace Prize during the World Cup draw last December.
Ahead of the World Cup final, White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt defended the scale of the security operation, saying Trump’s presence was the best moment of the entire tournament.
“His presence will cap off the most watched, safest and most successful World Cup in U.S. history,” Levitt said.
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