New York, 18 July 2026
US President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino have honored the football World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the USA on the eve of the final as a historically successful tournament.
Trump spoke at a FIFA reception in New York of an extraordinary event. "Das war das erfolgreichste Sportevent, vielleicht in der Geschichte der Welt", he said according to the dpa news channel. Infantino spoke of the "großartigsten WM der Geschichte". Both declared the tournament an event of historic proportions, as emerges from the dpa news channel.
Infantino went even further and described the World Cup as an unprecedented global event. "Es ist das größte menschliche, soziale und kulturelle Ereignis, das die Menschheit je erlebt und gesehen hat, und wir alle sind Teil davon", the world federation chief said. Trump joined in and said: "Es war großartig", as the dpa news channel reported. At a large fan fair in New York, Trump also spoke of "Es ist verrückt".
Looking to the future, Trump did not rule out another World Cup in the USA. "Ich sage, wir sollten wieder die USA auswählen. Dieses Mal lassen wir Mexiko und Kanada draußen", he said. The tournament was conceived as a joint hosting by the three North American countries. Trump spoke at a large fan fair in New York, as the dpa news channel further reported.
Political Hymns of Praise for the Tournament
Apart from the political balance, the sporting focus is on the final between Spain and Argentina on Sunday (21.00/ZDF and MagentaTV) in East Rutherford. The focus is on the duel between Spanish young star Lamine Yamal and Argentina's captain Lionel Messi. The story of the two is connected by a legendary photo.
Messi and Yamal: A Photo and a Final
The now legendary images of a photo shoot from 2007 are currently omnipresent in the media. They show the then 20-year-old Messi bathing the only a few months old Yamal in a plastic tub. "Damals habe ich ein Foto mit ihm gemacht, als er noch ein Baby war, und jetzt treffen wir in einem WM-Finale aufeinander", Messi is quoted as saying. At the fan fair he said about the photo: "Es ist verrückt".
Yamal himself showed confidence before the final. "Der amerikanische Traum, Herr Präsident, ist wahr geworden", the Spaniard said. His coach de la Fuente confirmed: "Es geht ihm gut heute, er hat mit der Mannschaft trainiert und er ist in optimaler Form". In the semifinal against France, Yamal had been fouled in the penalty area and had thus enabled the penalty kick for Spain's 1-0 lead. Regarding a painful blow to the thigh, de la Fuente said: "Das war schmerzhaft für ihn, aus Vorsicht haben wir ihm Minuten zur Erholung gegeben."
England and Tuchel Before the Third-Place Match
In addition to the final, the third-place match between England and France takes place on Saturday (23.00/MagentaTV) in Miami Gardens. England's national coach Thomas Tuchel countered criticism from media and former players after the World Cup semifinal exit. "Wenn wir morgen gewinnen, ist es das beste Ergebnis bei einer Weltmeisterschaft seit 60 Jahren", he said. Asked about the gap to the great tournament winners, Tuchel said: "Die Lücke ergibt sich durch die Titel. Aber es ist möglich, sie zu schließen."
Trump left the sporting outcome open. "Es ist alles eine Frage der Perspektive", the Swabian said with a view to third place. Messi, who had struggled with injuries during the tournament, meanwhile declared: "Meine Hand tut immer noch jeden Tag weh", as the 33-year-old reported.
The mood around the tournament thus remains exuberant even after the semifinals. Trump and Infantino used their appearances on the sidelines of the World Cup final week to frame the joint project of the three host countries as a historic success. On Sunday evening, the sporting decision between Spain and Argentina will be made in East Rutherford.