Okay, so maybe Donald Trump muscling in on Spain’s 2026 World Cup celebrations wasn’t entirely unexpected.

Long before we even knew La Roja would be facing Argentina in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, we were informed by Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president, that the U.S. president would not only attend the game, but also take part in the trophy presentation ceremony, joining Infantino on stage to hand the World Cup trophy to the winners.

Trump did exactly that on Sunday and, just as he had done when Chelsea won the FIFA Club World Cup at the same venue 12 months earlier, proceeded to linger on stage as Spain’s triumphant players properly began their celebrations.

Rodri, Spain’s World Cup-winning captain, was seen attempting to politely usher Trump away to no avail, with the president and Infantino very much playing the role of gatecrashers as the midfielder lifted the trophy high into the air for the first time.

Trump and Infantino disappear from Spain’s celebration photo

Clips of the trophy lift show the duo awkwardly watching on from the side of the stage. Yet they are, as is only right, nowhere to be seen in a photo posted by the Spanish national team’s official accounts on social media.

Rather than waiting for Trump and Infantino to move out of shot, it appears as if the pair were forcefully removed by photo editing software, ensuring Spain’s 26 heroes, along with head coach Luis de la Fuente, got their rightful moment in the spotlight with no distractions.

Maybe technology isn’t so bad in soccer after all.

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