The President of the United States, Donald Trump, arrived this Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, aboard the presidential helicopter Marine One, which landed inside the stadium's perimeter approximately 90 minutes before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final between Spain and Argentina.
The arrival of the president was captured by numerous attendees and users on social media. "President Trump IS IN THE HOUSE!" wrote journalist Nick Sortor on X while sharing images of the presidential helicopter landing.
Despite the aerial display, many of the over 82,500 fans present in the stadium did not notice the arrival of the president. The British newspaper The Guardian highlighted the fact by noting that Trump managed to enter the venue without most of the audience being aware of his arrival.
It is the only World Cup match that Trump attended in person, after the tournament had played 102 matches.
An unprecedented security operation
The presence of the head of state necessitated the deployment of a large security apparatus led by the United States Secret Service, with support from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the FBI, and hundreds of federal, state, and local agencies.
The authorities established a three-nautical-mile no-fly zone around the stadium and reinforced access controls with airport-like screenings.
As a result, thousands of fans faced long lines to enter the venue. Some reports indicated wait times of up to two hours before the match, despite the gates opening four hours before the kickoff, and additional entrances being opened later to expedite entry.
Tournament volunteers indicated that the early influx of spectators was significantly higher than in the seven matches held at MetLife Stadium during the World Cup.
Meeting with Infantino
During the final, Trump shared the VIP suite with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, with whom he had attended an official reception the night before at Trump Tower in Manhattan.
At that event, Infantino praised the support of the U.S. administration for the tournament and stated, "This World Cup would not have been such an incredible success without you."
For his part, Trump commented on the growth of soccer in the United States with a phrase that quickly went viral: "I said, 'That's crazy, we're not a soccer country!' and it turns out we are a soccer country."
The final also brought together several international leaders. Among those present were the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, and the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, whose countries, along with the United States, are hosting the 2026 World Cup. The Argentine President, Javier Milei, did not attend the event.
The match between Spain and Argentina marked the first World Cup final between both teams and capped off a tournament that broke attendance records, with around 6.5 million spectators in the stadiums, and, according to estimates from Bank of America, generated nearly 20 billion dollars in economic impact for the United States. Additionally, the demand to attend the match skyrocketed ticket prices in the resale market, where some tickets were offered for millions.
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