United States President Donald Trump shared a brief moment with some of football's biggest stars during the FIFA World Cup 2026 medal ceremony featuring Lionel Messi and others after Spain defeated Argentina in the final at the New York-New Jersey Stadium, popularly known as MetLife Stadium.
Following Spain's dramatic 1-0 extra-time victory, Trump joined FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on the podium to present medals to both the winners and runners-up.
While every player received a handshake and a few words from the US President, a professional lip reader has now claimed to have decoded exactly what Trump said during those interactions.
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What did Donald Trump say during the medal ceremony?
According to professional lip reader Nicola Hickling, Trump's message remained almost identical for every player as they walked across the podium to receive their medals.
As reported by The Express, Hickling claimed that Trump greeted each footballer by saying:
"You are a champ."
He then followed it up with another compliment:
"Amazing player."
The interactions lasted only a few seconds as Donald Trump either handed over the medal personally or congratulated players with a pat on the chest before they moved along the presentation line.
The medal ceremony took place shortly after Spain lifted their second FIFA World Cup title courtesy of Ferran Torres' extra-time winner, ending Argentina's hopes of defending the trophy they won in Qatar four years earlier.
Cristian Romero snubs handshake with Trump
While the ceremony largely went smoothly, one interaction caught the attention of fans across social media. Argentina defender Cristian Romero appeared to walk straight past Trump without shaking his hand during the medal presentation.
The Tottenham Hotspur centre-back was seen greeting both FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum before seemingly bypassing the US President altogether. Romero had started the World Cup final for Argentina but was forced off in the 70th minute after picking up an injury.
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Although neither Donald Trump nor Romero commented on the incident afterwards, the moment quickly went viral online as fans debated whether the Argentina defender had intentionally avoided the handshake or simply moved through the medal line without noticing.