US President Donald Trump embarrassingly crashed the trophy presentation to new Fifa Club World Cup champions Chelsea after they beat Paris St-Germain 3-0 in the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday.
Trump was on the podium embedded in the front row, directly next to Reece James, as the Chelsea captain lifted the trophy and the team had to celebrate their victory around the US president.
Heads of state attend major finals in Fifa competitions and usually present the trophy, but this appears to be the first time in history a president forced his way into the picture-taking moment of the team lifting the trophy.
Chelsea trying to celebrate winning the World Cup with Trump in the way is FRYING ME
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) July 13, 2025
Cole Palmer: "What’s he doing?"
Reece James: "Are you gonna leave?" 😭😭pic.twitter.com/djQ8ockJO2
Fifa president Gianni Infantino could be seen attempting to politely usher Trump away moments before the lifting of the trophy.
Chelsea's two-goal hero Cole Palmer appears to mouth the words “What's he doing?” about the US president's presence on the podium at the moment.
Afterwards James said he was told Trump would exit the stage ahead of the trophy-lifting moment.
“Before they told me he was going to present the trophy and then exit the stage, and I thought he was going to exit but he wanted to stay,” James said.
The UK's Independent reported that, asked what he said to Trump on-stage, James said: “To be honest it was quite loud. I couldn't hear too much. He congratulated me and the team for lifting the trophy and told us to enjoy the moment.”
Palmer told the newspaper: “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.”
Trump's appearance at MetLife Stadium, while normal, was not necessarily the touch to the finale Fifa and Infantino might have desired at the end of a controversial new, 32-team format to the competition.
The expanded format has attracted criticism for adding games to a packed schedule for professional players, while the heat the matches were played in, sometimes at midday for European prime time TV audiences, raised concerns.
Trump was roundly booed in the stadium making his way out to the trophy ceremony.
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