Spain's World Cup triumph has become one of the biggest talking points in football, not only because of the dramatic final itself, but also because of the unusual scenes that followed when Donald Trump remained on stage during the trophy lift.

Luis de la Fuente's side defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal in the 106th minute to secure Spain's second World Cup title.

The final had been billed as a clash between two of the tournament's strongest teams. Spain arrived in the match unbeaten, having eliminated Belgium and France in the knockout stages, while Argentina were hoping to retain the trophy they won in 2022.

After a tense and largely even contest, Torres finally broke the deadlock late in extra time, sparking wild celebrations among the Spanish players and thousands of supporters inside the stadium.

However, it was the trophy presentation that quickly stole the spotlight. As part of the ceremony, FIFA president Gianni Infantino invited Trump onto the stage alongside other dignitaries to present medals before handing the World Cup trophy to Spain captain Rodri.

Footage from the live broadcast showed Trump shaking hands with players and standing next to Rodri as the trophy was delivered. But as the team prepared for the traditional trophy lift, viewers noticed that the US President had not left the stage.

Infantino appeared to gesture for Trump to move away so the players could enjoy the moment alone, with the FIFA president stepping aside himself. Trump instead moved towards the edge of the podium and remained standing among the celebrating squad as Rodri lifted the trophy and the players erupted around him.

The moment immediately triggered a wave of reaction online, with many football fans arguing that presenters and dignitaries are normally expected to leave the stage before the winning team lifts the trophy.

The discussion intensified several hours later when Spain's national team shared its official celebration video on Instagram.

The clip focused entirely on the players surrounding Rodri as he raised the trophy, with fireworks exploding behind them and teammates jumping around in celebration. Neither Trump nor Infantino appeared anywhere in the edited footage. That stood in contrast to photographs and live television images from the ceremony, where both men could clearly be seen standing close to the players during the initial celebrations.

Social media users quickly concluded that the official video had been framed or edited specifically to remove the two dignitaries from the defining image of Spain's World Cup victory.

The incident has also prompted comparisons with the FIFA Club World Cup final earlier this year, when Trump similarly remained on stage after presenting Chelsea with the trophy before eventually leaving the podium. Online reaction to the latest moment was swift. One person commented:

“Trump’s that one friend who takes a picture with the bottle but hasn’t contributed.”

Another wrote:

“As they should! He should have given up his current ambition to play football if he wanted it that bad… such an attention seeker!”

A third added:

“Was he not told prior about anu etiquette? The man attends dinners with world leaders and royalty but doesn’t understand basic etiquette. It’s not about you!”

The debate comes amid growing interest in Trump's relationship with international football.

He attended several matches during the tournament and has been increasingly visible around major FIFA events, with Infantino frequently appearing alongside him during preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

For Spain, the controversy has somewhat overshadowed what was otherwise a landmark sporting achievement.

Rodri captained the side to victory after an impressive tournament, while Torres' extra-time winner ensured Spain became only the third European nation to win multiple men's World Cups.

Yet within hours of the final whistle, much of the online conversation had shifted away from Spain's football and towards the awkward trophy presentation.

Neither FIFA nor the Spanish Football Federation has publicly commented on the viral moment, and there has been no official explanation for why the version of the celebration shared by Spain no longer showed Trump on stage.

Whether the omission was a deliberate edit or simply a tighter crop of the original footage, it has become one of the most talked-about images from the tournament.

In the end, Spain left New Jersey with the World Cup trophy, while the internet was left debating who should, and should not, have been standing beside them when they lifted it.