How did Trump steal spotlight at Chelsea's Club World Cup celebration?
Donald Trump became an unexpected fixture at Chelsea's Club World Cup trophy presentation, lingering on stage with captain Reece James despite being prompted to leave. The former US President, who watched Chelsea's 3-0 victory, congratulated the team and shared his enjoyment of the "upset," even jokingly suggesting he could mandate the sport be called "football" in the US.
Chelsea's historic Club World Cup victory celebrations took an unexpected turn on Sunday in New Jersey, as former US President Donald Trump became an unscheduled, yet highly visible, participant in the trophy presentation. Following the Blues' dominant 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium, Trump presented the coveted trophy to Chelsea captain Reece James. However, the planned itinerary saw a slight deviation when FIFA president Gianni Infantino reportedly invited Trump to move aside from the stage.
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Despite the prompt, Trump remained firmly alongside James and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, actively applauding as James lifted the trophy. He stayed in position for several seconds, basking in the moment, before eventually departing from the rear of the stage with Infantino.
England international Reece James recounted the surprising interaction: "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." James added, "He just congratulated me and the team for lifting the trophy and told us to enjoy the moment."
Cole Palmer, Chelsea's two-goal hero from the final, also expressed his surprise. "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," Palmer admitted. "I was a bit confused, yes."
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The conclusion of the revamped, expanded Club World Cup, which featured extensive pre-match entertainment and a lengthy half-time show, drew an impressive crowd of 81,118 people to MetLife Stadium. Trump watched Chelsea's commanding victory in the final alongside Infantino, telling Dazn in a half-time interview that he was "having a really great time."
In a longer interview broadcast later on Sunday, Trump further commented on his relationship with the FIFA president and his thoughts on the sport. "Gianni is a friend of mine, he's done such a great job with the league and with soccer - or as they would call it 'football', but I guess we call it soccer. I'm not sure that change could be made very easily," he remarked. He also noted the match's surprising outcome, "But it's great to watch - and this is a little bit of an upset that we're watching today, isn't it?"
When jokingly suggested that he could issue an executive order to officially rename the sport "football" in the United States, Trump smiled and quipped, "I think we could do that. I think I could do that." This playful exchange comes as the United States, alongside Canada and Mexico, prepares to jointly host the 2026 men's World Cup next summer, underscoring the growing prominence of "soccer" in North America.
