A body language specialist has pointed to the moment Lionel Messi met Donald Trump at the World Cup final, saying the exchange created an unexpectedly awkward scene — especially for the US president.
The final on Sunday featured several tense and unusual moments, including clashes involving Spain and Argentina players immediately after the whistle, with members of the Argentina side disputing decisions made in the build-up to Spain’s goal.
Another clip that drew attention appeared to show Spain star Lamine Yamal briefly pausing before shaking Trump’s hand on the podium.
The 19-year-old played a key role in Spain’s 1-0 victory over Argentina after extra time at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Ferran Torres ultimately scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute, sealing the win and giving Spain the title of 2026 World Cup champions.
In another notable moment, Trump joined FIFA president Gianni Infantino on stage for the medal and trophy presentation, greeting each player individually as they stepped forward. The presentation, which unfolded in front of a packed crowd and a huge global TV audience, quickly became one of the most talked-about parts of the night.
While Yamal seemed unsure for a split second, the Argentina players had an even tougher evening.
Not only had they missed out on the trophy, they also had to collect silver medals after finishing second — far from the outcome they had hoped for.
According to body language expert Darren Stanton, the most uncomfortable interaction came when Messi approached Trump to receive his medal.
Speaking to OLBG, Stanton, also known as the human lie detector, said Messi appeared unwilling to engage and came across as somewhat cold toward the president. Body-language readings are, of course, interpretive, and often depend on how viewers read a brief clip rather than the full context of the moment.
The analysis followed a video posted on X claiming Messi refused to give Trump “eye contact”.
Stanton revealed: “With Lionel Messi, he doesn’t look like he wants to hang around, does he? I think it’s almost like Trump wants to engage him, as he puts the medal around his neck, but then Messi’s body language immediately turns to the right and starts to walk off, and then Trump taps him on the back. So there seemed to be a reluctance with Messi to really engage with Trump.”
He added: “Like Messi, it just seemed to be a real, sort of dismissive attitude towards Trump.”
As for Trump’s side of the interaction, Stanton suggested: “I think overall Trump is there thinking ‘I’m the president, they’re all going to be over the moon’, but people are not really that impressed.”
Online reaction to the claim that Messi avoided eye contact was divided, with some viewers backing the interpretation and others rejecting it.
Some argued the footage had been misread, with one user saying Messi doesn’t look at Trump “until he does”, sharing a screenshot that appeared to show the two making eye contact.
Another wrote: “C’mon, happy they lost, but you’re forcing it here. He did.”
Someone else said: ” You’re full of sh!t. He looked right at him just as he did the guy to Trump’s right.”
Representatives for the White House and Lionel Messi were contacted for comment.