The FIFA Club World Cup, founded in 2000, held its latest competition on American soil with Chelsea F.C. defeating Paris Saint-Germain F.C. 3-0 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
President Donald Trump was in attendance and met with both cheers and a chorus of jeers, with Chelsea players baffled that Trump hung out with the winners onstage, along with reportedly keeping a trophy for himself.
The FIFA Club World Cup concluded on Sunday (July 13) with Chelsea sending shockwaves throughout the global football world by defeating the European champions in PSG. As Chelsea players celebrated the massive upset win, President Trump, alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino, handed over the Club World Cup trophy to the winners and was visibly instructed to step aside. Trump refused to do so, much to the confusion of the stars.
“I knew he was going to be here but I didn’t know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy,” Cole Palmer said to
PA Media in a post-match interview. Chelsea captain Reece James added, “They told me that he was going to present the trophy and then exit the stage, and I thought that he was going to exit the stage, but he wanted to stay.”
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James also said he spoke with Trump but couldn’t make out what he was saying fully due to the noise in the arena.
“To be honest it was quite loud. I couldn’t hear too much. He just congratulated me and the team for lifting the trophy and told us to enjoy the moment,” James politely stated. It was perhaps not the reception the American president expected, what with boos raining down from the 81,000 in attendance. It wasn’t all negative, as some fans stood and cheered for Trump.
In another bizarre turn of events, Trump elected to keep the
FIFA Club World Cup trophy for himself, with Chelsea receiving a replica. Cole Palmer did receive the Gold Ball for his exploits on the pitch. No word yet if Trump had one given to him by FIFA as well. The Chelsea club won an estimated $114 million in prize money.
On X, formerly Twitter, reactions to President Donald Trump joining in the festivities of the FIFA Club World Cup have come in. We’ve got those reactions listed below.
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Photo: Getty
