German broadcasters mocked President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino live during the World Cup final after Trump was handed the tournament trophy to present.
On Sunday, Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to attend a World Cup final, where Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
Officials brought the World Cup trophy to Trump in the FIFA president’s private box before kickoff, and he was seen holding it in his lap.
“Well, that’s a violation of the rules,” one host for the German public broadcaster Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen said on air.
“Trump and Infantino — those two were made for each other,” a second host added. “Fascinated by power and themselves, too.”
ZDF commentator Oliver Schmidt went further during the broadcast.
“And there is the U.S. President and his telephone joker on the right — his lackey, Gianni Infantino,” Schmidt said.
The phrase “telephone joker” referred to Trump’s call to Infantino earlier in the tournament to request that FIFA review a red-card suspension handed to U.S. striker Folarin Balogun. FIFA lifted the suspension — the first time since 1962 that a red card at a World Cup did not result in a ban.
Some fans inside MetLife Stadium booed Trump when he appeared on the stadium’s screens. During Spain’s trophy celebration on the field, Infantino was seen guiding Trump off the stage.
“They can edit him out of that,” Spanish broadcaster Claudio Fabiano said on air as Trump photobombed the national team’s celebrations.
Trump told Fox Sports before the match that he wanted the United States to host the World Cup again. “We have to do this again,” he said. “And we have to do it while I’m around.”
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