As a student, Donald Trump played high school football. As a business baron, he owned a team in an upstart rival to the NFL and then sued the established league. As president, he denigrated pros who took a knee during the national anthem as part of a social justice movement.

Donald Trump on Sunday will become the first sitting U.S. president to attend a Super Bowl – but the former reality television star has a long and complicated history with the sport of football.

Trump's history with football: from playing in school, to owning a USFL team, to the NFL kneeling controversy, to Super Bowl parties in West Palm.

President Donald Trump — a sports fan, former USFL team owner and the guy who sued the NFL — knows all that, and on Sunday he’ll become the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl.

While Trump and the NFL seem to be on the same page now, their relationship has been rocky over the decades. Here is a breakdown of Trump’s long and complicated history with the league. Trump will attend the big game on Sunday following the NFL’s recent decision to remove the “End Racism” message from the end zones for the first time since 2021.