​While not typically one of the more prominent nations when it comes to international soccer, the United States and President Donald Trump have been impossible to ignore throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and it continues to spark outrage from the global soccer community.Between FIFA’s decision to allow Trump to hand the trophy to the victors following the World Cup Final, the treatment of Iranian players throughout the tournament, and Trump’s involvement in FIFA’s decision to overturn USMNT striker Folarin Balogun’s suspension, Trump has faced plenty of scrutiny throughout the tournament.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNow, Trump is once again sparking outrage after FIFA has decided to play the United States national anthem at Sunday’s final between Spain and Argentina, even though the United States is not playing in the match.At the World Cup final, the national anthem of each of the two teams playing in the championship match is typically played during the pre-match festivities. However, this time, there will be another national anthem played before the match: “The Star-Spangled Banner.”On Tuesday, FIFA confirmed that Jennifer Hudson will perform the United States national anthem ahead of the World Cup Final, even though the United States is not involved in the match.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis is a highly unusual move as the host country does not typically have its national anthem performed before the match. That honor is usually reserved for the two nations actually competing in the match. It’s especially odd considering the United States is just one of three host nations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but there are no plans to perform the Canadian or Mexican national anthems before the match.It’s not clear how or why FIFA came to the decision that “The Star-Spangled Banner” should be performed. Regardless, many expressed their outrage as they saw this as yet another example of how heavy-handed Trump and the United States have been in inserting themselves into the World Cup throughout the tournament.“This is what a dictatorship does. No other host country in World Cup history in recent times, have had the national anthem sung when the country isnt participating. And the last two hosts were Qatar and Russia,” one fan wrote in a post on X.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Why should the US national anthem be played? And don’t give me the “because they’re the host nation” argument. I can’t remember a single World Cup where the host country’s anthem was played before the final unless the host nation was actually one of the finalists. This World Cup has been more politicised than ever. Trump will present the trophy, and for the first time the US national anthem will be played despite the United States not even being one of the finalists. It’s all becoming pretty disgusting. More than ever, FIFA needs its next president to be someone who can’t be manipulated – someone with in