Cristian Romero ‘snubs’ Trump handshake in World Cup final medal presentation | Football | Sport

Argentina’s Cristian Romero appeared to snub US President Donald Trump’s handshake during a presentation of runners-up medals at the 2026 World Cup final.

Spain won the World Cup after beating the defending champions 1-0 in extra time, with Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal after Argentina were reduced to 10 men when Enzo Fernandez was sent off in the 93rd minute.

But it was the actions after the game and during the World Cup trophy presentation which has caught more attention.

Despite being subbed off in a lackluster final for Argentina, 28-year-old Tottenham defender Romero still managed to make his mark on the match by appearing to ignore Trump.

In now-viral footage circulating on social media, Romero can be seen shaking the hand of both FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum, who were on either side of Trump. He can be seen glazing over the US president in the middle, as Trump helped by handing out medals to both teams.

It is unclear if the move was on purpose, but many seem to think it was a clear “snub” online.

The awkward Trump moment was the third in a hat trick of awkward moments for the US President. Shortly before kick-off, Trump appeared on the giant screens inside MetLife Stadium.

The cheers that had accompanied the national anthem just moments before quickly gave way to a chorus of boos, whistles, and jeers directed at the president, who had arrived via the Marine One helicopter and made a dramatic flyover of MetLife Stadium before the match got under way.

Trump had been keen to avoid a repeat of his viral New York Knicks moment, while security teams left absolutely nothing to chance. F-16 fighter jets, military marksmen, and thousands of FBI agents were deployed to safeguard MetLife Stadium and the surrounding airspace.

The match had been designated a “Level 1” special event – the highest security classification in the US – putting it on a par with presidential inaugurations and State of the Union addresses.

It didn’t get much better after the match for Trump, with celebrating Spainiards briefly siding with the Argentinians in the crowd once again as it seemed the entire stadium became a cacophony of boos and jeers shortly after the last whistle of the 2026 World Cup.

Footage shared on social media showed crowds heckling the 47th President of the United States as he walked across the grass to the centre of the pitch in order to present Spain with the World Cup trophy.

Seemingly unbothered by the hissing crowd, Trump then refused to leave 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 walked onto the podium individually to collect their medals before US President Trump and Gianni Infantino presented them with the World Cup trophy.

But instead of stepping aside once the presentation was over, Trump stayed on stage, shaking hands with players and raising his fists in the air as the celebrations got underway.

Infantino appeared to try to usher a seemingly uncertain Trump away from the team, but the US President remained standing to the right of the squad as they celebrated, overshadowing what was meant to be Spain’s trophy-lift moment.