The tournament was jointly hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada yet much of the focus centered on the United States and the statements or moves linked to Trump.

He had described the event as unlike any previous World Cup and events proved him right, especially after controversy arose when US forward Folarin Balogun escaped a ban following his red card.

The situation followed Trump's admission that he contacted Fifa president Gianni Infantino to request a review of the dismissal. The decision allowed Balogun to feature for the USA in their round-of-16 defeat to Belgium.

Equally notable was Trump's absence from matches until the final itself. He skipped every game beforehand, so attention turned to his arrival at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday.

His entrance drew notice inside the venue as he traveled in one of three helicopters that circled overhead before landing nearby.

He took his place next to Infantino roughly 20 minutes before kickoff, arriving just in time for the closing ceremony featuring Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger.

During the opening period he was also shown the trophy.

Besides Trump's arrival, the extended halftime entertainment modeled on the Super Bowl drew significant attention before the match.

Normally used for player recovery, coaching instructions and fan refreshments, the interval was lengthened this time to accommodate a short concert.

Prominent acts included Madonna, BTS, Coldplay and Shakira, whose track 'Dai Dai' served as the tournament's official song, while Justin Bieber also appeared.

Following advice from Ted Lasso and assistant coach Beard, Bieber slowed the energetic mood with an acoustic rendition of 'Everything Hallelujah'.

The break stretched to 27 minutes and reactions from supporters were divided, though former England striker Wayne Rooney offered a direct verdict from the Match of the Day studio.

"I thought it was poor," he remarked. "The shows lacked quality and the schedule felt off. We should simply have returned to the game."

The pre-match closing ceremony followed familiar patterns with loud music and pitch dancing, augmented by a striking address from actor Cruise.

Neutral observers focused closely on the extent of Trump's involvement in the post-match trophy handover.

During last year's Club World Cup final Trump became part of Chelsea's celebrations after presenting the trophy to captain Reece James.

He stayed on stage briefly with James and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez before stepping away.

"Officials indicated he would hand over the trophy and leave, yet he chose to remain," noted James, a member of England's squad at this World Cup.

After Sunday's final Trump joined Infantino in distributing medals to both teams and again lingered during the trophy moment, though for less time than at the Club World Cup.

Boos greeted Trump and Infantino when they appeared for the ceremony, and at least one player, Argentina defender Cristian Romero, bypassed Trump after collecting his medal from Infantino.