World Cup star's instant response when offered handshake by Donald Trump during medal ceremony

An Argentine player appeared to avoid shaking hands with US President Donald Trump after the World Cup final.

Ferran Torres’ extra-time strike was enough to secure Spain’s second-ever World Cup triumph as Lionel Messi and Argentina struggled to show any attacking intent, failing to have a single shot on goal until the 116th minute.

The South Americans also set the unwanted record of becoming the first team to record zero shots on target in a World Cup final, while Spain saw 11 of their 20 attempts find the target.

While Spain were persistent with their usual patient, intricate passing, the 2022 winners attempted to rough up their opponents before Enzo Fernández took it a step too far in the 93rd minute, receiving a second yellow card for an aggressive, mistimed tackle on Spain centre-back Pau Cubarsí.

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Following the match, fans and pundits agreed that Spain were deserved winners and the only team that came to play football at New York/New Jersey Stadium.

Several high-profile celebrities and sportspeople attended the final, including tennis star Carlos Alcaraz, musicians Jay-Z and Beyoncé, as well as actor Will Ferrell, just to name a few.

The half-time show, which Wayne Rooney described as “crap”, certainly divided opinion despite performances from Justin Bieber, Madonna, Burna Boy, BTS and Shakira.

World Cup star 'refuses' Trump handshake

The presence of President Trump, who attended his first game of the tournament, also did not go down well, as he and FIFA president Gianni Infantino were greeted with a chorus of boos as they took to the field before the trophy presentation.

Trump then handed out medals to both sets of players, with most politely shaking his hand before making their way to the winners' podium.

However, footage appeared to show several players avoiding shaking the president's hand.

🚨 #THFC’s Cristian Romero picking up his runners up World Cup medal, and BLANKING Donald Trump. ❌ pic.twitter.com/ojzo4NfGus

— Hotspur Lane (@HotspurLane) July 19, 2026

Argentina defender Cristian Romero, who started the final before being withdrawn in the 70th minute after sustaining an injury, snubbed Trump’s handshake.

The Spurs defender shook both Infantino’s and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s hands but refused to acknowledge the US president.

Spain forward Borja Iglesias also appeared reluctant to shake Trump’s hand and did so without looking towards the president.

Speaking ahead of the match, the Celta Vigo striker explained: “I don’t want to go to prison, I hope to greet him at a time when we are all very happy, and that it passes very quickly and I can forget about it.

“I don’t think this is the time to create controversy. People know perfectly well what I think.

“I would love to do many things, but the reality is that even if people think I am all-powerful, I don’t have that much power to tackle certain things.”