Milei also shared an additional ritual: wearing a thick jacket from the oil company YPF during every match, because he doesn't use a heater .
Trump's plans were the mirror opposite. The White House confirmed on July 17 that Trump would attend the final on Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey . He traveled to New York on Friday for a FIFA reception at Trump Tower beforehand
.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that Trump would jointly present the championship trophy to the winning team — a role they had rehearsed together at the Club World Cup final a year earlier . This was Trump's first appearance at any match during the 2026 tournament
.
Milei's absence is a case study in how deeply sports superstition — known in Argentina as cábalas — can override even the most high-profile diplomatic invitations. Trump's presence, by contrast, was a straightforward exercise of host-nation duties and photo opportunities.
Despite their close political alliance, the two leaders' approaches to the final were driven by entirely different logics: one by a personal ritual, the other by protocol and politics.