​Who is allowed to touch World Cup trophy and what that means for Donald Trump originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The World Cup trophy is one of the biggest prizes in sports, so much so that there is only one true trophy.FIFA owns a World Cup trophy made of solid gold that was first introduced in the 1970s and has presented it to the World Cup champions ever since. While champions end up receiving a replica to own full-time, the original trophy is brought out every four years.Therefore, FIFA has strict rules regarding who can touch the trophy, and with President Donald Trump expected to attend the 2026 final, he will likely be on the list. Here’s what to know about which people can touch the World Cup trophy.2026 WORLD CUP HQ:Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule | Buy World Cup ticketsWho is allowed to touch World Cup trophy?FIFA decides who is allowed to touch the World Cup trophy, going as far as to devise a list of people who are eligible. According to FIFA’s website, touching the World Cup trophy is reserved for “a select group that includes heads of state, FIFA officials and former World Cup winners.”Therefore, at the trophy ceremony following the World Cup final, members of the winning team will touch the trophy along with any other special guests in attendance. For the 2026 World Cup final, that means either Spain or Argentina will get their hands on it, while president Donald Trump is also expected to touch it as part of the ceremony.Why is Donald Trump allowed to touch the World Cup trophy?Trump is included on a special list of people allowed to touch the World Cup trophy. FIFA says heads of state can be included on the list of people allowed to touch the trophy, and Trump qualifies under that category.In August 2025, Trump already touched the World Cup trophy when FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited the White House.Trump is expected to be part of the World Cup final trophy presentation as either Spain or Argentina will secure the title. In fact, FIFA is having Trump award the trophy to the winning team after the match, a break from a World Cup tradition.FIFA president Gianni Infantino, though said this was always the plan, especially after Qatari head of state Tamin bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani was on hand in the 2022 World Cup trophy presentation.”Hopefully we’ll present the trophy together in the final,” Infantino said. “That’s always been the plan, and that’s how it’s always been done in the past – the president of the country where the final is held presents the trophy together with the FIFA president.”