FIFA will introduce a new tradition at Sunday’s World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, with the winners set to receive championship rings after lifting the trophy.

The rings are inspired by a long-standing tradition in American sports, where champions in competitions such as the NFL’s Super Bowl receive specially designed jewellery to celebrate their success.

A total of 30 rings will be produced for the newly crowned world champions, while another 1,996 will be available for supporters to purchase. Each item will feature a miniature version of the World Cup trophy as part of its design, along with a personalised engraving on the band.

Trump confirmed for trophy presentation at MetLife Stadium

Donald Trump will attend the final and present the trophy to the winning team, despite not having watched any of the 102 matches played during this World Cup.

The US president missed all of the United States’ fixtures before their elimination in the last 16 by Belgium. However, his appearance at major sporting occasions is not unusual, with Trump previously attending events including the Super Bowl, the US Open tennis tournament, the NBA finals, and the Ryder Cup.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino had already announced that Trump would be present at the final, while White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed his attendance.

World Cup controversy involving Trump and Infantino

The connection between Infantino and Trump has been at the centre of the tournament’s biggest controversy after the US president contacted the FIFA chief to request a review of United States forward Folarin Balogun’s red card.

The decision to overturn Balogun’s automatic suspension attracted criticism and led to questions over the consistency of disciplinary decisions during the competition.

Balogun was subsequently available for the knockout match against Belgium, although the USA were beaten 4-1 and eliminated from the tournament.

No other red or yellow cards have been suspended during the World Cup, even though France and England both appealed against decisions involving their players.

Officials in New York and New Jersey have introduced an air quality health alert after smoke from Canadian wildfires spread across the region just days before the World Cup final.

The haze has covered the New York area, leading authorities to advise people to limit outdoor activity and remain inside whenever possible. The warning comes shortly before the meeting between Spain and Argentina at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, scheduled for Sunday, 19 July, at 20:00 BST.

The open-air venue is expected to welcome more than 80,000 supporters for the final, which will also feature a major half-time performance. At present, there are no indications that the match will be impacted by the conditions.

The situation improved slightly compared with the severe smoke pollution experienced in New York in June 2023, when wildfire smoke turned the sky orange across the city.

Spain arrive as conditions worsen

The air quality became noticeably worse shortly before Spain arrived in New Jersey on Wednesday evening, only a day after their semi-final victory over France in Texas.

Despite the difficult conditions, Spain continued with outdoor training on Thursday and appeared unaffected by the smoky atmosphere. The team has not made any public comments about concerns surrounding the air quality.

Argentina took a different approach after beating England in their semifinal, remaining in Georgia before travelling to New Jersey. The team is scheduled to begin preparations there on Friday afternoon.

The changing conditions have also affected people working around the stadium. Contractor Dan Edgar revealed that his daughter Kaitlynn, who is due to dance and perform during the final, was practising at the venue on Thursday and struggled with the atmosphere.

“She’s texting me that it’s bad out there,” Edgar said. “It’s hard to dance, she says you can feel the air, it’s heavy.”

Players already dealing with difficult conditions

Footballers have already experienced the combination of smoke and high temperatures in recent days. A National Women’s Soccer League match between Gotham FC and Washington Spirit went ahead at Citi Field in Queens on Wednesday despite the orange-coloured haze.

Because of the air quality index, players were required to take two additional breaks during each half under league regulations.

Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman admitted the conditions were challenging after the game and suggested the match should not have taken place.

“Not to make excuses at all, but I think on both sides we were all like, ‘another break, another break, another break’,” Rodman said.

The forecast offers hope before the final

The air quality around New York and New Jersey is expected to improve on Friday, while predicted rainfall on Saturday could help clear some of the remaining smoke.

Elsewhere, poor air conditions have already caused football disruption, with Thursday’s Major League Soccer fixture between Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps postponed due to pollution levels in the Chicago area.

The match had been expected to feature former Bayern Munich and Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski, who was preparing to make his debut for Chicago after joining the club as a free agent last month.

Argentina may face disciplinary proceedings from FIFA after their players displayed a political message during celebrations following their World Cup semi-final triumph over England.

The reigning champions secured a place in the final after a dramatic comeback in Atlanta, overturning England’s lead to win 2-1 thanks to late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez.

After the match ended, Argentina’s squad gathered with a banner carrying the words “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, which translates as “The Falklands are Argentine”.

The Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory located in the southwest Atlantic Ocean, have long been at the centre of a sovereignty dispute between Britain and Argentina.

Previous controversy over similar message

The two countries previously fought a war over the islands in 1982, with the conflict lasting 74 days between April and June.

The war resulted in the deaths of 655 Argentine servicemen, 255 British servicemen, and three residents of the islands.

Argentina has already faced punishment from world football’s governing body for a similar incident. In 2014, FIFA fined the Argentine Football Association £20,000 after players held the same message before a friendly match against Slovenia.

At the time, FIFA ruled that the banner violated regulations regarding political statements and team misconduct.

Political reaction after Argentina’s win

Following Wednesday’s semi-final victory, Argentina vice president Victoria Villarruel shared a post on X featuring a video that appeared to show Argentine soldiers, accompanied by the words: “It wasn’t just another match”.

Villarruel also wrote: “The Falklands are Argentine,” claiming that the islands had been prevented from being brought into the stadium but remained part of Argentina’s identity.

Before the match, Villarruel had described the semifinal as an opportunity to “put the invaders in their place”.

Peter Kyle, the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, criticised the banner and said he expected FIFA to investigate the incident.

“I think [an investigation] is certain to happen because it was such an egregious violation of the rules of not having political activity as part of the football,” Kyle told BBC Breakfast.

Scaloni urged focus on football before the semifinal

The Falklands issue had already appeared during Argentina’s tournament, with players singing chants referencing the islands, including Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, after their 3-2 victory over Egypt in the last 16.

However, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni had previously insisted that football and politics should not be mixed ahead of the semi-final.

Scaloni said the match should be viewed purely as a sporting event and showed respect for those affected by the conflict.

“It was a very sad period in our history, and there isn’t much we can do about it,” Scaloni said.

He added that wars happening around the world should be criticised but stressed that the meeting with England was a football match and should not be confused with political issues.

The semi-final was played with additional security measures due to the historical tensions between the two countries.