SerpApi.Org
Madonna has been forced to address viral rumors she was hanging out with Donald Trump during the World Cup final.
The singer issued a firm statement denying she was anywhere near his luxury suite during the Sunday, July 19, match after rumors surfaced on social media. Madonna, 67, was one of the artists who performed at the World Cup final halftime show, the first of its kind, but faced controversy after her set.
Not only did she and Justin Bieber allegedly create “real tension” behind the scenes as they reportedly clashed over their different visions for the show, but she was also accused by some viewers of hanging out with Donald Trump. It comes as Madonna accidentally flashed fans in an awkward wardrobe mishap.
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After a brief shot from Trump’s box showed some of the people seated with him, First Lady Melania Trump, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Mexican president Claudia Shienbaum, and more, some thought they saw the artist seated next to Melania Trump.
This quickly sparked backlash for Madonna, as many were infuriated by her seemingly cozying up to the president. However, her rep has since confirmed to Rolling Stone that she was nowhere near the box.
The alleged appearance in the box was also before the halftime show, when she would have been backstage preparing for the performance. The woman in the box was also dressed differently from the singer and was seated there later in the performance.
Madonna has also been a vocal critic of the Trump administration, taking to social media after he won the 2024 election to slam him, making a potential appearance alongside him even less likely.
“Trying to get my head around why a convicted felon, rapist, bigot was chosen to lead our country because he’s good for the economy?” she wrote on her Instagram Stories at the time.
She also notably shared a picture of a cake that read “f–k Trump,” adding, “Stuffed my face with this cake last night!” Of course, the rumor she was hanging with the president wasn’t the only controversy she faced during the final, as many critiqued her performance as a whole.
Madonna sang her 2000 hit track Music during her part of the set, but faced criticism because unlike Bieber, Shakira, Burna Boy and BTS, she didn’t perform on the field. She was also slammed for bringing our Brazilian soccer legends Ronald and Ronaldinho on a pink dune buggy, who people said she used as “props.”
“They got Ronaldinho and Ronaldo in that vehicle with no idea what’s being said or done. This is elder abuse–Madonna included,” one person wrote on X at the time, with another adding, “The halftime show is awful. America must never host the World Cup again. Madonna even brought out Ronaldo and Ronaldinho as props.”
It comes after a lip reader exposed FIFA boss Gianni Infantino's desperate plea to Trump that he ignored in a humiliating moment.
