surprising fact
Trump did nearly the same thing last year when he and Infantino presented the Club World Cup trophy to Chelsea. While Infantino moved out of the frame, the president stayed front and center while the team lifted the trophy. Chelsea’s captain Reece James said after the game he was told Trump would “present the trophy, and then exit the stage,” while player Cole Palmer said he was “a bit confused” by the incident.
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tangent
Trump and Infantino courted controversy throughout the World Cup, with some FIFA fans accusing the organization’s president of cozying up to Trump ahead of the United States hosting the tournament. Sepp Blatter, a former FIFA president, called the organization a “dictatorship” in February and accused Infantino of being “submissive” to and currying favor with Trump. Controversy erupted after Trump called Infantino before FIFA lifted U.S. striker Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension, though Trump has said he did not tell Infantino what to do. Infantino has also faced accusations from some fans that the organization has favored Argentina and its star player, Lionel Messi. FIFA has faced allegations of favoring Argentina for years, though the accusations gained steam this year after Argentina’s controversial win over Egypt, which led the Egyptian team to raise questions about “consistency and fairness.”
key background
Spain won the World Cup over reigning champions Argentina on Sunday, scoring a single goal in overtime to claim the trophy. The win was Spain’s first since 2010, and it halted Argentina from being the first team since Brazil in 1962 from winning back-to-back titles. Argentina was down one player in the final stretch after Enzo Fernandez was sent off with a red card after tackling Spain’s Pau Cubarsí, who was sent flying.
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further reading
A World Cup known for officiating controversy ends with Argentina seeing red (NBC News)
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Why Some Accuse FIFA Of Favoring Argentina In World Cup Final (Forbes)