The FIFA World Cup final may be over, but one of the tournament’s biggest talking points has emerged away from the pitch. Spain star Lamine Yamal and Argentina defender Cristian Romero both became the subject of online debate following the medal ceremony after videos appeared to show them avoiding a handshake with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The controversy began when footage of Yamal collecting his medal went viral on social media. Many users claimed the young Spanish sensation deliberately bypassed Trump during the ceremony. The clip quickly gained traction, generating thousands of reactions and sparking discussions across football communities worldwide.
Shortly afterward, similar attention shifted toward Argentina’s Cristian Romero. Another viral video appeared to show the defender moving past Trump without a handshake while receiving his medal. The sequence led many fans to draw comparisons between the two incidents, with some interpreting the actions as intentional while others argued the moments were being taken out of context.
As the clips spread online, supporters and critics on both sides offered differing interpretations. Some viewed the incidents as symbolic gestures, while others pointed out that short clips often fail to capture the full context of crowded medal ceremonies involving dozens of players and officials.
The debate has somewhat overshadowed the sporting headlines from the final itself, where Spain defeated Argentina to lift the World Cup trophy. Yamal was among Spain’s standout performers throughout the tournament, while Romero played a key role in Argentina’s run to the final.
Whether the moments were intentional or simply misunderstandings created by selective camera angles, the incidents have become one of the most discussed off-field stories of the World Cup’s closing ceremony.
