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FIFA Introduces Winner Rings for Argentina v Spain World Cup Final

FIFA Introduces Winner Rings for Argentina v Spain World Cup Final

FIFA is to present World Cup rings to the winners of Sunday's final between Argentina and Spain, a match that will be attended by the United States (US) President Donald Trump.

Winner's rings are a longstanding tradition in American sport, most notably awarded to Super Bowl champions in the National Football League (NFL).

Following that model, 30 rings will be made available to the World Cup winners, with a further 1,996 going on sale to fans. 

Each ring will feature a miniature World Cup trophy in its design, along with an engraving on the band.

Trump, who is due to present the trophy after the match, has not attended any of the tournament's 102 games so far, missing all of the US matches before their last-16 exit to Belgium.

A weather warning has been issued in New York over air quality caused by wildfires in Canada, though there is no suggestion the final at MetLife Stadium will be affected.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino had already indicated Trump would attend the final, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has since confirmed his attendance.

The relationship between Infantino and Trump has been at the centre of the tournament's biggest controversy.

READ ALSO: Referee Vinčić to Officiate World Cup Final on Sunday

It was said that the US president contacted the FIFA chief seeking a review of a red card shown to United States striker Folarin Balogun. 

The subsequent decision to suspend Balogun's automatic ban drew heavy criticism, with questions raised over the integrity of the competition. 

Balogun went on to feature in the last-16 defeat to Belgium, which the USA lost 4-1.

No other red or yellow cards have been suspended during the tournament, despite both France and England appealing to have separate incidents reviewed.

Trump has a history of attending major sporting occasions during his two presidential terms.

Previously, he has gone to the Super Bowl, the US Open tennis championships, the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals and the Ryder Cup, as well as hosting Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events at the White House. 

It is not unusual for heads of state in host nations to attend World Cup finals.

The United States has co-hosted this year's tournament alongside Canada and Mexico.

England face France in Saturday's third-place play-off in Miami, kicking off at 22:00 British Summer Time (BST), while Argentina meet Spain in Sunday's final at 20:00 BST.


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