Trump retains FIFA Club World Cup trophy in Oval Office
- Before the FIFA Club World Cup final, Donald Trump disclosed that FIFA officials gifted him the trophy, which is now displayed in the Oval Office.
- Chelsea received a replica trophy after their victory, which surprised players who expected Trump to leave the stage after presenting it.
- Trump's actions during the event, including pocketing a medal, drew both confusion and amusement, reinforcing the intersection of politics and sports.
In 2021, President Donald Trump made a revealing statement regarding the FIFA Club World Cup trophy. During a broadcast interview with DAZN prior to the final match held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Trump disclosed that FIFA officials had gifted him the trophy. He confirmed that it had been placed in the Oval Office following a visit from FIFA President Gianni Infantino in March. Infantino had suggested that the trophy could remain with Trump permanently, as they were already in the process of creating a new one. This decision led to Chelsea FC receiving only a replica trophy after their victory over Paris Saint-Germain, upsetting expectations for them. The event drew considerable media attention when Trump remained on stage alongside Chelsea players during their trophy celebrations, causing confusion among the players who believed the president would leave after presenting the trophy. Cole Palmer, a key player for Chelsea, expressed his surprise at Trump’s presence alongside the team during such a momentous occasion. Furthermore, players remarked on the unexpected nature of Trump's involvement, highlighting an unusual intersection between sports and politics. The incident sparked additional buzz when footage emerged showing Trump pocketing a FIFA Club World Cup winners medal intended for display but taken instead as a keepsake. Infantino initially presented the medal to Trump during the ceremony, yet the president tucked it away into his suit blazer when it seemed that Infantino was requesting to reclaim it. Fortunately for Trump, the FIFA President appeared to dismiss the situation with a thumbs-up, leading to a slew of mixed reactions over social media as viewers commented on the event. In the backdrop of this situation was Trump’s controversial fling with sports culture, where he was mentioned jokingly for potentially writing an executive order to rename “soccer” to “football” in the United States. This further blurred the lines between politics and the sporting world, as soccer fans and players alike found his antics perplexing yet engaging. Trump’s entanglement with the FIFA trophy and the Chelsea victory demonstrated the complexities that arise when political figures take an active role in popular sports events, especially in the context of such globally recognized competitions.