Trump Sports Curse Theory Revives After Argentina Loses World Cup Final

I thought about it a lot. I knew that was a question. I hate to get involved, even though politically, it doesn't matter so much. I would say that it's hard to bet against Messi… I won't pick sides. I just think it's very hard to bet against Messi. He's great. In the

Following the match—during which Argentina failed to register a shot on target and midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off—social media users began attributing the loss to the president’s comments. Trump attended the trophy presentation, where he was booed by parts of the audience upon entering the field. His interaction with Messi during the distribution of silver medals was described as brief.

History of the “Trump Sports Curse”

The theory posits that teams or athletes associated with Trump or those he publicly supports often suffer unexpected defeats. This narrative has been bolstered by several sporting events occurring during his time in office:

* 2026 World Cup: The U.S. men’s national team suffered a 4-1 loss to Belgium after Trump asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review a red card issued to forward Folarin Balogun. Although FIFA suspended the one-game ban, allowing Balogun to play, the team was subsequently eliminated. The Belgian Football Association later posted an image of Romelu Lukaku’s celebration on social media with the caption, “Overturn this.” * 2026 NBA Finals: The New York Knicks suffered their only loss of the NBA Finals—a 111-115 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs—during Game 3, the only game Trump attended. The loss snapped a 13-game winning streak, leading some fans to jokingly call for a “cleansing” of Madison Square Garden. The Knicks ultimately won the series in five games. * 2025 Ryder Cup: Trump attended the first day of competition at Bethpage’s Black Course, where he told reporters, We're going to get it done. The Commanders lost 44-22.

Public and Media Reaction

The Trump sports curse has become a focal point for internet commentary. Following the World Cup final, the Republicans Against Trump X account shared a clip of the president’s pre-match comments with the caption, EVERYTHING Trump touches dies.

Beyond sports, critics have applied the “curse” label to other situations.

Stakes and Context

While the “curse” remains a popular subject of social media speculation, its application is inconsistent. For instance, despite the Knicks’ Game 3 loss attributed to Trump’s attendance, the team went on to clinch the NBA championship, leading some fans to declare the curse broken at that time.

The recent World Cup final result, however, has reignited the discussion, particularly as fans of the Argentinian team sought explanations for the side’s inability to score in the final match. The trend remains a recurring theme in online discourse whenever a high-profile team or player associated with the president experiences a notable defeat.

Sources: Usatoday, The Independent.