Trump praises Messi, Ronaldo and Kane ahead of World Cup 2026 final

US President Donald Trump has commended the performances of Argentina, Portugal and England captains Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Harry Kane, respectively, as outstanding players ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final between Spain and Argentina, Report informs via The News Mill.

He made the remarks at an event held at Trump Tower in Manhattan, attended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Speaking at an event in New York City on Friday, ahead of the final scheduled for Sunday, Trump praised Messi's assist to Enzo Fernandez during the semifinal versus England, calling it "nearly perfect" and highlighting the special qualities of great players.

He also lauded Ronaldo as "a great player and person" and praised Kane's ability. Trump suggested that England made a tactical error by repositioning Kane to a defensive role after taking the lead in their semifinal against Argentina.

"We have gathered tonight in New York City as we await the final faceoff on Sunday between the two amazing teams, Spain and Argentina. I watched that pass that Messi made. He was well guarded by a great player, and then he moved to the right, and the other player was just standing there. He kicked it. It was within, I would say, a quarter of an inch of being perfect. And that was the end of the game. It was brilliant," Trump said.

"These great players, they seem to do that over and over again. They're just born with something extra. Ronaldo is one of them. I got to know him over the years, and he's a great guy. You have a great player in England, who I played golf with, you know that, right? Harry Kane, who's been fantastic. They perhaps made a mistake when they made him a defensive player. They took the lead, and they took their best player and then put him on defense," he added.

Following their semifinal victories, defending champions Argentina and European champions Spain will contest the FIFA World Cup 2026 final. The match sets the stage for a highly anticipated encounter between Lionel Messi and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.

Spain secured their place in the final with a 2-0 victory over France, while Argentina staged a comeback to defeat England 2-1 after trailing 1-0, scoring a stoppage-time winner to advance.

Messi enters the final leading the Golden Boot standings, narrowly ahead of France captain Kylian Mbappe, having registered two assists in Argentina's semifinal win over England.