Spain snubs Trump, wipes him from trophy photo as world reacts with ridicule

Most of us have been photobombed at one time or another—but few photobombs get airbrushed out by a national federation. Spain's players had barely lifted the World Cup trophy Sunday when their celebration was interrupted by an unwanted guest: President Donald Trump, who lingered onstage alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino after handing over the trophy, landing in shot after shot. By the time Spain's official accounts posted their victory photos, the president was gone—cropped, it appeared, out of the picture entirely.

It did not take long for users to notice the oddity. One X user called it "hilarious and embarrassing," while another wished America could edit Trump out of its political picture, too. The moment was almost a foregone conclusion, if a prescient Australian broadcaster is anything to go by—caught on a hot mic predicting the act, he said: "They can edit him out of that." Spain became world champions after a 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina in the FIFA World Cup final.

The snub followed boos from the crowd when Trump strode onto the pitch alongside Infantino ahead of the trophy ceremony. After presenting the trophy to captain Rodri, Trump lingered rather than let the players have their moment, shuffling awkwardly across the stage to shake hands before taking up a spot at the corner of the podium. As the moment threatened to drag on, Infantino moved quickly to guide the 80-year-old out of frame so Spain's players could celebrate on their own.

Trump stayed put regardless—but Rodri and his teammates lifted the trophy anyway. It isn't the first time Trump has lingered onstage during a celebration; he was caught doing the same a year earlier at the Club World Cup final. He presented the trophy to Chelsea after their win over Paris Saint-Germain—and, rather than exit the stage once the awards were handed out, stayed put. Chelsea captain Reece James and his teammates later admitted they were "confused" by the president's unscripted presence during their trophy lift.

The moment landed against a backdrop of tension between Trump and Spain, including his past threats over the country's NATO defense spending. Trump has previously vowed to punish Spain economically. "Spain is a wasted cause. We don't want to do any trade business with Spain anymore," he said at the July NATO summit in Ankara. "Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. They don't participate, they don't pay. I don't want anything to do with Spain. Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits."