The US President was seen getting handsy with the trophy, something frowned upon by fans and seen by many players as risking putting a curse on the tournament itself
Donald Trump has been criticised for putting a ‘curse’ on the World Cup, after he was spotted breaking one of the tournament’s most famous unwritten rules.
The US President, who is rarely interested in playing things by the book, was snapped by eagle-eyed photographers getting his mitts on the iconic World Cup trophy, something that is considered a faux pas by many fans and players.
While Trump putting his fingers around the trophy is not an official breach of FIFA regulation, many believe that the only people allowed to touch the World Cup trophy are the winners of football’s biggest tournament. Trump was slammed on reddit for the action, with one user saying: “I have the feeling he’s not a big fan of rules or tradition or basic decency”, while another joked that “He is going to steal the trophy.”
On X, users were equally unimpressed, with one user writing: “Did they really have to show Trump touching the trophy like a toddler getting a birthday cake that doesn’t belong to them”.
Another user defended the President, saying that he was “Likely invited to do so” and may have been “unfamiliar with this tradition”.
In the past, players have avoided touching the trophy, as it is viewed as bad luck, and there do exist some strict rules governing who can handle the World Cup trophy which includes winners and heads of state, including US President Donald Trump.
According to FIFA’s official guidelines, quoted by Sky News: “As one of the most recognised sports symbols in the world and a priceless icon, the original FIFA World Cup Trophy can only be touched and held by a very select group of people, which includes former winners of the FIFA World Cup and heads of state.”
However, there have been a handful of high-profile occasions when that protocol has been ignored.
One of the best-known examples came at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, when pop superstar Rihanna was photographed holding the trophy after Germany’s extra-time victory over Argentina.
She had attended several matches during the tournament and, for reasons that have never been fully explained, was granted access to Germany’s post-match celebrations.