After Donald Trump spent weeks complicating the World Cup, the President’s lingering presence at Spain’s trophy ceremony on Sunday was just another unwanted distraction, according to congresswoman Yassamin Ansari.
‘Nobody wanted him there,’ the Democrat representing Arizona’s third congressional district told Meidas Touch on Capitol Hill.
Just as he did at the Club World Cup trophy ceremony in 2025, Trump confusingly remained on stage as Team Spain was hoisting its hardware following Sunday’s 1-0 win over Argentina. Not even FIFA president Gianni Infantino could successfully pull Trump from the spotlight, despite his best efforts to do so.
As a result, Trump was pictured alongside the World Cup champions and has since been cropped out of some images from the ceremony by FIFA.
‘I love the World Cup,’ Ansari continued. ‘It showed us how much unites us as opposed to what divides us, and Donald Trump is the exact opposite of that.’
The daughter of immigrants who fled Iran following the Islamic Revolution, the 34-year-old Stanford graduate condemned Trump for several decisions made during the recently concluded tournament.
Donald Trump lingers on stage at the World Cup trophy ceremony as Spain raises its hardware
The daughter of immigrants who fled Iran following the Islamic Revolution, Yassamin Ansari condemned Trump for several decisions made during the recently concluded tournament
For starters, Trump forced Iran’s national team to relocate its base camp from Tucson to Tijuana following the joint American-Israeli attack on the country. This presented a number of logistical issues, particularly as the US initially denied visas to 15 Iranian officials at the onset of the tournament.
Iranian coach Amir Ghalenoei later referred to his squad as the ‘most oppressed team in the whole World Cup.’
Somali referee Omar Artan was barred from officiating at World Cup games in the US after being denied entry into the country amid vague accusations of having an ‘association with suspected members of terror organizations.’ Artan denied any such link, while Custom and Border Protection agents have neglected to provide evidence supporting their claim.
To Ansari, this was just another deliberate attempt by Trump to inject politics into the tournament.
Iranian coach Amir Ghalenoei is seen in Tijuana, where his team was forced to practice
‘He made the entire experience of having the World Cup hosted by the United States so difficult,’ Ansari continued. ‘We know that, for example, they made Iranian players travel in and out of the country. They were discriminated against. We had referees from Somalia not even be let into the country.
‘We had ICE detain players and question them for hours,’ she continued. ‘I don’t think the US did what it was supposed to do as host, and Donald Trump is the reason for that.
‘So I wish I had never seen Donald Trump yesterday [at the trophy ceremony], but I’m really glad Spain won. I was rooting for Spain, and ultimately I’m pretty sad the World Cup is over now.’
One Spanish World Cup hero has poked fun at Trump since the awkward trophy ceremony moment.
Ferran Torres wore a ‘Make Spain Great Again’ cap as he and his teammates celebrated their World Cup triumph with a homecoming parade.
