Posts falsely claim Lamine Yamal snubbed Donald Trump after World Cup win
- Published on July 27, 2026 at 16:04
- 2 min read
- By Eyamin SAJID, Tolera FIKRU GEMTA, AFP Bangladesh, AFP Ethiopia
Spain star Lamine Yamal did not avoid shaking Donald Trump's hand after the World Cup final, contrary to posts claiming the teenager snubbed the US leader. The posts cited a video as proof of the purported moment, but AFP photos and footage of the post-match ceremony show the pair did shake hands.
The caption in the post shared on Facebook on July 21, 2026, reads: “Do you notice yama refused to shake trump (sic)?”
A robotic narrator also repeats the claim, but mentions the player's full name. “Did you notice that Lamine Yamal refused to shake hands with Trump?”
The post contains a one-minute clip that shows Spain's 19-year-old winger Lamine Yamal collecting his World Cup winner's medal. He is greeted by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, before briefly stopping in front of Trump, who places the medal over Yamal's head.
The audio includes further claims that Yamal might have avoided shaking hands with Trump due to “natural immense pressure” or because “Yamal may not want his identity as a football player to be defined at any political level”.
The post was also shared on Facebook here and here.
Trump drew attention at the World Cup final by remaining on stage as Spain celebrated its victory over Argentina (archived here).
He briefly stayed beside the trophy despite Infantino's attempt to guide him away, even performing a short version of his signature dance in front of the jubilant Spanish players.
However, the claims circulating on social media that Yamal avoided shaking Trump's hand are false.
Several AFP photos, taken from a different angle compared to the falsely shared video, show Yamal and Trump shaking hands as the teenager received his winner's medal.
Moreover, a keyword search on Google led to similar footage shared on the verified YouTube channels of the White House and Fox Sports showing the pair shaking hands (archived here and here).
Read other AFP Fact Check debunks about the 2026 World Cup.
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