Donald Trump’s appearance at the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday (July 13) has gone viral, not because of the game, but because of how he handled himself during the trophy ceremony.
Trump attended the match at MetLife Stadium, where Chelsea dominated Paris Saint-Germain with a 3–0 win, thanks to a first-half brace from Cole Palmer and a goal from new signing João Pedro. A red card for PSG’s João Neves in the second half sealed the French side’s fate.
After the final whistle, Trump joined FIFA president Gianni Infantino to present the trophy to Chelsea captain Reece James. But while Infantino stepped aside for the team’s celebration (as is standard protocol) Trump didn’t budge. Instead, he lingered on stage, forcing the Chelsea players to awkwardly celebrate around him.
According to USA Today, Palmer turned to James mid-ceremony and asked, “Wait, wait, what’s he doing?” James then reportedly asked Trump, “Are you going to leave?”—but got no response.
Palmer later told reporters: “I knew he was going to be there, but I didn’t know he’d be standing where we lift the trophy. So, I was a bit confused.”
The internet, of course, had a field day. One Reddit user likened Trump’s behavior to “a child at another kid’s birthday party trying to blow out the candles.” Another wrote: “Absolutely embarrassing,” while a third joked: “The best part is watching the other guy trying to get Trump off the stage. He tries like five different times lol.”
Video clips show several Chelsea players looking visibly unsure about how to proceed with the celebrations.
Donald Trump was reportedly booed by parts of the crowd when he appeared on the stadium’s video boards earlier in the evening, as The Guardian reports. He later spoke to DAZN about the match, saying: “It’s a big thing, Gianni’s a friend of mine. But it’s great to watch. This is a little bit of an upset we’re watching today. [FIFA has done] fantastically well—it’s a growing sport, it’s a great sport.”
The U.S. is set to co-host the FIFA World Cup next summer alongside Mexico and Canada, prompting speculation over whether Trump will make another headline-grabbing appearance, especially if he’s reelected before the final whistle blows in 2026.
Earlier this year, Vice President JD Vance commented on the U.S.’s role in hosting, saying: “Everybody’s welcome to come and see this incredible event. We’ll have visitors from probably close to 100 countries. We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to watch the game.”
As for Chelsea, they took home the trophy. As for Trump, well, he took over the stage.
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