Jon Stewart found two very different targets in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, its first-of-its-kind halftime show and President Donald Trump’s position beside Spain during the trophy celebration.
During the July 20 episode of The Daily Show, Stewart compared the Spain-Argentina final to the Super Bowl in reverse, with Spanish-speaking teams on the field and entertainment performed largely in English during halftime.
Spain had defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time one day earlier at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
His monologue became considerably sharper when the broadcast reached Trump’s role in the postgame ceremony. As footage showed Trump remaining beside the Spanish players during the trophy lift, Stewart asked, “What the f— are you doing on the stage?”
The Muppets Gave Stewart His Halftime-Show Punchline
The 11-minute production was the first official halftime show staged during a World Cup final. Madonna opened with “Music,” BTS performed “Dynamite,” Justin Bieber delivered “Everything Hallelujah,” and Shakira and Burna Boy performed the tournament anthem “Dai Dai.” The show also included conductor Gustavo Dudamel, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, the PS22 Chorus and a large collection of Muppets and Sesame Street characters.
Stewart focused on Count von Count, questioning why organizers had chosen a vampire character for a daytime performance. He also joked that The Count had little to work with while Spain and Argentina remained scoreless through regulation, apart from counting the hours spectators had spent in traffic.
Trump’s Place Beside Spain Became Stewart’s Main Target
Trump joined FIFA President Gianni Infantino on the presentation platform and helped hand the trophy to Spain following the match. He remained close to the team as the players lifted it and began celebrating their country’s second men’s World Cup championship.
Stewart said the trophy lift traditionally belongs to the winning players and accused Trump’s “overinflated ego” of intruding on their celebration. Trump had also been booed by portions of the sold-out crowd of 80,663 when he appeared at the stadium earlier in the event.
Spain’s victory came through substitute Ferran Torres, who scored the final’s only goal in the 106th minute. The win gave Spain its first men’s World Cup championship since 2010 and ended Argentina’s run as defending champion.
After the match, Trump called the tournament “four times greater than any FIFA ever held” and suggested it might have been five times greater. Stewart responded by questioning what Trump meant by “a FIFA” before joking that the people surrounding the president had supplied him with the exaggerated comparison.