2025-07-14T06:12:14Z

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On Sunday, the United States President, Donald Trump, made a notable appearance at the MetLife Stadium in New York, where he joined the Chelsea football team on stage to celebrate their remarkable victory in the Club World Cup. Chelsea, under the management of their talented roster, claimed a stunning 3-0 win over the favorite, Paris Saint-Germain, with Cole Palmer being the standout performer of the match. Palmer not only scored two goals but also assisted in another, helping the Blues secure this prestigious title in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 81,118 spectators.

Following the final whistle, Trump, alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino, took to the stage to present Chelsea with the coveted trophy. However, his presence was met with mixed reactions, as some fans in the audience voiced their discontent with a few boos. After handing the trophy to Chelsea's captain, Reece James, Trump was momentarily asked to step aside by Infantino, who was coordinating the presentation. Nevertheless, Trump remained on stage, observing as James lifted the trophy amidst a backdrop of fireworks and confetti, signaling the start of Chelsea's celebration.

Reflecting on the event, James remarked on the unexpected nature of Trump's presence during the awards ceremony. “They told me that he was going to present the trophy and then exit the stage, but he wanted to stay,” James explained. When asked about their brief interaction, he admitted the noise made it difficult to hear Trump's words, but he recalled that the President congratulated the team and encouraged them to savor the moment.

Palmer, who was pivotal in Chelsea's win, expressed his surprise at the entire situation, stating, “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. I was a bit confused, yes.” Chelsea’s triumph in this newly-expanded 32-team tournament also came with a financial reward, netting the club over £90 million.

Earlier in the day, Trump conveyed his enjoyment of the event while speaking to broadcaster DAZN. “I am having a really great time. Tremendous sport,” he said at halftime. In a post-match interview, he shared his admiration for the tournament, mentioning that Gianni Infantino is a personal friend and praising his efforts in enhancing the league and soccer in the U.S. Trump humorously addressed the difference in terminology, stating, “They would call it ‘football,’ but I guess we call it soccer. But I’m sure that change could be made very easily.”

When asked about the possibility of issuing an executive order to officially rename the sport, Trump chuckled and replied, “I think we could do that, I think I could do that.” The conversation turned to the future of U.S. soccer, especially with the country set to co-host the men’s World Cup with Canada and Mexico next summer. Trump expressed optimism about the U.S. potentially dominating in soccer, drawing a parallel with the nation’s political resurgence. “We were doing very badly as a country. We had an incompetent administration and now we have a hot country. It’s really hot, and I think soccer is going to be very hot here too.”