Professional body language expert Carole Railton examined the footage and said Trump appeared uncertain and reliant on direction during the presentation.
She suggested his decision to stay in place may have been influenced by the ceremony rather than a deliberate attempt to take attention away from the winners.
“He looked confused, of course, concerned and was being guided the whole time, so I do not think it was a congruous decision; rather he had been directed,” Railton told VT.
The trophy lift itself is traditionally reserved for the winning captain and players, with officials and dignitaries usually stepping aside once the presentation is complete.
Even when world leaders or royalty hand over trophies, football tradition dictates that the victorious team should have the spotlight during the celebrations.
Trump was involved in the presentation as a head of state, but the actual lifting of the trophy remained Spain’s moment. Fans had already criticized his decision to stay on the podium longer than expected, with some arguing he should have moved away sooner.
Other experts discuss Trump’s appearance
Body language analyst Jack Bowden also examined the scene, claiming FIFA president Gianni Infantino attempted to guide Trump away from the players before the final celebration photographs.
“After the presentation, the FIFA president tries to direct Trump to move away from the team and out of frame for the final celebratory photo,” Bowden said.
However, he claimed Trump remained near the group as the cameras captured the famous winning image.
“Trump lingers on the edge of the group just as the final glitter cannons go off for the celebration still shot that will be shown across the world,” Bowden explained.
He added: “By doing so, Trump manages to get a chance to remain in the final, iconic photograph.”
Bowden also suggested the players appeared more comfortable interacting with Infantino than Trump during the ceremony.
“Throughout the line, players from both sides, including the victorious Spaniards, clearly preferred to spend more time with the FIFA President with whom they were much more jovial and physically comfortable and celebratory than with President Trump,” he told UNILAD.
He claimed the interactions showed the players appeared more aligned with FIFA than with the US president.
“It is clear who is most valuable in that lineup to them, they were clearly more ‘Team FIFA’ than ‘Team Trump’,” he said.
The expert also analyzed Trump’s usual handshake style and noted that he did not appear to use his well-known technique of pulling another person’s hand or body position during the greetings.
“Again and of note, Trump makes no attempt to pull any of these players off balance, completely breaking from his purposeful, signature handshake routine,” Bowden said.
He added: “The absence of his usual handshake really illustrates how this signature Trump move to pull others off balance is a conscious choice for him.”
Bowden claimed most of the players kept their interactions with Trump brief.
“None of the players spend a second longer than necessary with Trump, except for Spain’s captain, Rodrigo (number 16),” he said.
He also analyzed the moment Trump helped present the trophy to Spain captain Rodri, describing the shared presentation as a deliberate FIFA protocol.
“Finally, the World Cup trophy is presented,” Bowden said.
“The FIFA President and Trump present it equally together, with both men placing both hands on the trophy at the exact same time and carrying it together, a clear demand from FIFA that the status be shared.”