On Sunday (July 19), Spain defeated Argentina to claim its second World Cup title. The country’s national team, nicknamed La Roja, had first lifted the trophy in 2010, when many of the players who made history at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium were children.
The tournament, jointly hosted for the first time by three nations—the United States, Canada, and Mexico—produced no shortage of memorable moments.
It marked the final World Cup for football legends like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, while also being the first edition to include 48 teams, allowing multiple countries to make their tournament debuts.
Image credits: Dan Mullan/Getty Images
Towards the end, it was Donald Trump who made headlines for the way he handled the trophy ceremony.
The US president joined FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in presenting the silver medals to Argentina and the gold medals to Spain.
When it was time for Spain's long-awaited celebration, however, Trump appeared to take on a bigger role than expected.
Unlike previous World Cup finals, where world leaders only placed medals around the players’ necks, Trump remained on the podium for the iconic group photo as Spain lifted the trophy.
After a few seconds, Infantino was seen nudging him away to ensure Spain’s team could also have photos taken without the president in frame.
Trump had previously referred to Spain as a “wasted cause” and a “terrible partner in NATO” over Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s lack of support during the conflict with Iran.
The president’s actions during the trophy ceremony did not sit well with many viewers, who responded by creating dozens of memes imagining Trump crashing other iconic moments in history. Here are some of the most creative ones.
