Cristian Romero, the Tottenham defender, appeared to snub Donald Trump's handshake during the World Cup final medal ceremony, adding to an awkward evening for the US president who was repeatedly booed by the crowd.
Spain had just won the World Cup, beating the defending champions 1-0 in extra time. Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal after Argentina were reduced to ten men when Enzo Fernandez was sent off in the 93rd minute. Romero, 28, had been substituted off injured earlier in the match.
“Tottenham's Cristian Romero appeared to ignore Donald Trump's handshake during the World Cup final medal ceremony amid boos.”
As the runners-up lined up to receive their medals, Trump, flanked by Fifa president Gianni Infantino and Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum, helped hand out the awards. In footage that quickly went viral, Romero can be seen shaking hands with Infantino and Sheinbaum but appearing to deliberately ignore Trump, who stood between them.
The snub was the third awkward moment for Trump during the evening. Before kick-off, his image appeared on the giant screens inside MetLife Stadium. The cheers that had accompanied the national anthem moments earlier quickly turned into a chorus of boos, whistles and jeers. Trump had arrived via Marine One helicopter and made a dramatic flyover of the stadium before the match.
Security was unprecedented: the match had been designated a “Level 1” special event – the highest security classification in the US, on par with presidential inaugurations and State of the Union addresses. F-16 fighter jets, military marksmen and thousands of FBI agents were deployed to safeguard the stadium and surrounding airspace.
After the final whistle, it did not get better for Trump. As he walked across the pitch to present Spain with the trophy, the crowd once again erupted in boos and jeers. Footage shared on social media showed spectators heckling the 47th president. Seemingly unbothered, Trump then refused to leave the podium after handing over the trophy, lingering as the cacophony continued.