Fact Check: Did Spain's Lamine Yamal refuse to shake hands with Trump at the FIFA World Cup?

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY: Following Spain's victory over Argentina in the FIFA World Cup finals, a video began circulating on social media platforms claiming to show Spanish player Lamine Yamal refusing to shake hands with President Donald Trump. The video has been shared widely, sparking speculation about its authenticity and prompting a fact-check.

Claim: Lamine Yamal refused to shake hands with Donald Trump

The viral video from the 2026 FIFA World Cup final medal ceremony at MetLife Stadium, where Spain defeated Argentina by 1-0, claims to show young Spanish star Lamine Yamal refusing to shake hands with Trump during the presentations.

The 16-second clip shows 19-year-old Yamal looking down as FIFA President Gianni Infantino places an arm around his shoulder, with Trump visible gesturing nearby, before Yamal allegedly refuses a handshake.

The video has garnered more than seven million views as of this writing, with many appearing to support Yamal for the alleged move, while others condemned him.

Fact Check: Videos and photos from the event show Lamine Yamal shaking hands with Trump

The video, however, is misleading, as Yamal did shake hands with the president during the presentation of the medal.

The viral clip has been edited to omit the handshake. Although Yamal appears to show hesitation, sparking disrespect claims, several videos and photos from the event show Yamal shaking hands with Trump.

A fact check by Grok stated, “No, Lamine Yamal did not refuse to shake hands with President Trump. Full ceremony footage and photos show Yamal completed the handshake after a brief hesitation/pause (likely nerves as a 19-year-old in a high-pressure setting with a massive crowd)."

"He received his gold medal normally alongside other Spanish players in the standard line with Trump and FIFA President Infantino. The viral clip was edited or cut to emphasize the pause, creating the misleading impression.”

Trump's awkward World Cup moment sparks attention

Trump briefly stole the spotlight during Spain's celebrations on Sunday, after remaining on the podium as the newly crowned champions prepared to lift the trophy following their 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina. 

An awkward moment unfolded when Trump stayed on stage with the winning team instead of stepping aside, prompting FIFA officials to signal him to move so the team could celebrate. 

Videos showed him standing beside the team as they prepared to lift football's biggest prize, which quickly went viral on social media, with clips of the incident drawing widespread attention.