Earlier this week we reported on the football side of Spain against Argentina. The final itself ended with Spain winning 0-1 after extra-time at MetLife Stadium on 2026-07-19, but the night was defined as much by the ceremony as the scoreline.
Donald Trump was greeted with whistles and jeers in New Jersey after walking out to present Spain and Argentina with medals. The Independent match report said the reaction to the president was "audibly negative with boos heard around the stadium", and the noise followed him through the presentation.
Trump and the trophy presentation
Trump was behind bullet-proof glass in the stands alongside Melania Trump and Barron Trump before joining the ceremony. The same report said that after presenting the trophy to Spain, he moved towards the edge of the group for the initial lift, "ensuring he would be in the photo", before Gianni Infantino tried to move him away.
That sequence is the image many people will keep from the final, more than the match itself. Rodri was Spain's highest-rated player at 8.2, but the most talked-about moment was still the podium scene around the trophy.
Argentina's late collapse
The football did not help Argentina's case. Spain vs Argentina was settled by Ferran Torres' 106th-minute goal from Nico Williams' knock-down, and Argentina finished with two red cards.
The dismissals were split between Enzo Fernández and Leandro Paredes, who was shown a red card at 120'+6 for violent conduct. Argentina's frustration never really cooled after that, and the final closed with the sort of discipline problems that can drown out any post-match debate about the football.
Spain still leave with the trophy, but the final will be remembered for the boos in New Jersey and the awkwardness around the presentation as much as the 1-0 scoreline.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
