Donald Trump made headlines during Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup 2025 triumph, after an unexpected and comical moment saw him involved in the post-match trophy scenes. Following the final, fans were surprised to learn that the U.S. President kept the original tournament trophy, effectively snubbing Chelsea’s official ceremony.
Chelsea were in high spirits after a stunning 3–0 upset over Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium, where a star-studded crowd witnessed the historic win. Among the celebrities in attendance was Trump, whose appearance on the stadium screens drew a mixed reaction from the crowd.
But what truly shocked viewers came after the match, when Trump revealed in an interview with DAZN that he had been allowed to keep the original Club World Cup trophy. Speaking on camera, he explained how the situation unfolded:
“They said, ‘Could you hold this trophy for a little while?’ We put it in the Oval Office. And then I said, ‘When are you going to pick up the trophy?’ He says, ‘We’re never going to pick it up. You can have it forever in the Oval Office. We’re making a new one.’
“And they actually made a new one. So that was quite exciting. It’s in the Oval right now,” he added. FIFA President Gianni Infantino had visited the White House with the trophy back in March.
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It now appears that visit coincided with Trump retaining the original cup—just ahead of what’s expected to be a record-breaking 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Chelsea, meanwhile, lifted a newly created version of the trophy on the pitch.
Reece James reacts to Trump’s unexpected moment
Chelsea captain Reece James led the team in lifting the trophy, sharing the moment with Infantino—and, unexpectedly, with Trump, who stayed on stage longer than anticipated to join the celebrations and distribute medals.
Speaking after the match, James admitted he didn’t expect Trump to be part of the trophy lift. “I wasn’t expecting him to lift the trophy with us, but I guess it shows just how big the tournament is. He just congratulated me and the team and told us to enjoy the moment,” James said in the mixed zone.
He added that Trump’s role had only been partially explained to him ahead of time. “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,” captain James added.
