Donald Trump and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney met at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final in New Jersey, after Trump threatened tariffs over wildfire smoke ‘invasion’
16:15 ET, 19 Jul 2026Updated 17:53 ET, 19 Jul 2026
Donald Trump and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney met at the FIFA World Cup game(Image: FIFA via Getty Images)
Donald Trump spoke with Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final, where the two met face-to-face after a spat over wildfire smoke and tariffs.
President Donald Trump slammed Canada on Friday for what he deemed to be inadequate handling of the wildfires that have blanketed several major United States cities with massive plumes of smoke.
Trump took to Truth Social on Friday to slam Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney for the recent wildfires that have burned through Western Ontario in recent days. He claimed that smoke from the wildfires has “invaded” the U.S., threatening to impose tariffs on Canada to pay for damages. It comes as a lip reader exposed Melania Trump’s true thoughts after her husband was booed during Jennifer Hudson’s national anthem performance.
But in a statement on Thursday, Carney indicated that the U.S. needs to allocate more resources to address climate change, which scientists say is a primary driver of increasingly severe and prolonged wildfires globally.
For the White House, Sunday’s match is the culmination of well over a year of navigating a litany of logistical challenges alongside co-hosts Canada and Mexico for what would be the biggest World Cup in history.
For the White House, Sunday’s match is the culmination of well over a year of navigating a litany of logistical challenges alongside co-hosts Canada and Mexico for what would be the biggest World Cup in history. (Image: Hector Vivas – FIFA, FIFA via Getty Images)
It had to balance the Trump administration’s hard-line migration policies that barred fans from some World Cup qualifier countries from entry into the United States.
Trump arrived at Sunday’s final with a flyover in the presidential helicopter, Marine One. Before the game even kicked off, Trump was already proposing another U.S. bid to host the tournament, sending a nudge to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The U.S. had generally faced broader tensions with its World Cup co-hosts of Canada and Mexico. Trump announced stiff tariffs on both countries in his return to the White House, and he has chosen not to renew a trade pact among the three countries, setting up a new period of negotiations.
The U.S. had generally faced broader tensions with its World Cup co-hosts of Canada and Mexico(Image: Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press vi)
Still, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attended the final at Trump’s request, in a sign that soccer can overcome some geopolitical tensions.
“I received an invitation from President Trump to attend the World Cup final on Sunday, and I decided to go because it’s a direct invitation from the President of the United States,” Sheinbaum said. “Prime Minister Carney will also be there.”
Spain’s King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also attending the game, although Milei — citing superstition — stayed home. Meanwhile, ‘fake Melania’ theories ignited at the World Cup final as viewers spotted a ‘clue’ from the first lady.