Hakeem Jeffries Criticizes Donald Trump’s Conduct at World Cup Final

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, condemned President Donald Trump’s behavior at the World Cup final held on Sunday. He made his remarks on Thursday, stating Trump had “disgraced himself” during the trophy presentation. Jeffries compared Trump to “the old man in a club that no one wanted around,” suggesting that Trump was oblivious to his unwelcome presence.

Jeffries spoke during a news conference with House Democratic leaders. The event also served as a platform to outline the party’s agenda for the upcoming midterm elections. Jeffries’ comments coincided with the passage of a Democratic-backed war powers resolution. The resolution aims to restrict Trump’s military actions against Iran.

Trump’s appearance at MetLife Stadium followed Spain’s narrow 1-0 victory over Argentina. As Trump walked onto the field, he was met with boos from the audience. FIFA President Gianni Infantino attempted to guide Trump off the stage, yet Trump lingered and performed a brief dance in front of Spain’s celebrating players.

This incident marked the second time in over a year that Trump received attention for remaining on stage during a trophy ceremony. A similar situation occurred during the previous year’s Club World Cup final. Chelsea captain Reece James was surprised when Trump chose to stay on stage after presenting the trophy.

Trump’s Sports Event Participation

The World Cup final is part of a series of sporting events that Trump has attended during his second term. President Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. Since then, he has actively attended various prominent sports events. These include football, baseball, and soccer matches, as well as wrestling, tennis, and mixed martial arts events.

His presence at sports events began with Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on February 9, 2025. Trump became the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl. He continued this pattern the following week at the Daytona 500 in Florida, riding a pace lap in the presidential limousine. Trump’s attendance list also includes NCAA wrestling championships in Philadelphia, a LIV Golf tournament at Trump National Doral in Miami, and UFC fights in Miami and Newark, New Jersey. He was also present at the U.S. Open men’s singles final in New York, becoming the first president to attend since 2000.

Additionally, Trump attended a New York Yankees game on the September 11th anniversary, the Ryder Cup on Long Island, and an NFL game between the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders. He also witnessed the Army-Navy game. In June, Trump was in attendance at Game 3 of the NBA Finals in Madison Square Garden to support the New York Knicks. Soccer, in particular, has received significant attention from Trump. He established the White House Task Force for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, appointing Andrew Giuliani as its executive director. This move further reinforced Trump’s relationship with Infantino.

World Cup Viewership Records

Trump’s latest appearance came against the backdrop of a World Cup that exceeded expectations. The 2026 World Cup attracted a record 6.8 million spectators across 104 matches. Stadiums reached almost 99.7 percent capacity, setting new attendance records. Television ratings mirrored this trend, with both Fox and Telemundo breaking U.S. audience records for the group stage and semifinals.

Throughout the tournament, Trump kept a low profile, skipping the group stage despite his previous efforts to position himself as a central figure. The tournament’s smooth execution allowed him to present himself at the final, with little controversy marring his appearance.

The quality of the soccer contributed to these record numbers. Through the quarterfinals, the tournament averaged 2.94 goals per game. This scoring rate is the highest since the 1970 World Cup hosted by Mexico. The tournament had a notable number of comeback victories, with teams like Argentina contributing to the excitement.

The World Cup final drew record television viewership in the U.S. Fox’s broadcast of Spain’s victory over Argentina attracted 38.937 million viewers, making it the most-watched English-language soccer broadcast in the U.S. history. Including streaming platforms, the combined Fox and Telemundo audience reached 66.4 million viewers. This represents the largest U.S. television audience outside of NFL games and news events since the 1998 series finale of “Seinfeld.”

In addition, Telemundo and Peacock’s Spanish-language broadcast secured 23.9 million viewers, setting a new record for Spanish-language soccer telecasts in the U.S. Overall, the final’s audience more than doubled the 25.78 million viewers for the 2022 championship featuring Argentina and France.

For more details, contact Newsweek editors Jason Lemon, Sam Wilson, and Edward T. Cummins.