On 13/7, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, former US President Donald Trump, representing the host nation, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented the Club World Cup trophy to Chelsea following their victory.
Infantino then stepped aside, seemingly suggesting Trump do the same. However, the former president remained, standing center stage as captain Reece James and his teammates prepared to celebrate.
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Marc Cucurella (left) shakes hands with former US President Donald Trump during Chelsea's 2025 FIFA Club World Cup trophy presentation at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey on 13/7. Photo: Shutterstock |
Marc Cucurella (left) shakes hands with former US President Donald Trump during Chelsea's 2025 FIFA Club World Cup trophy presentation at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey on 13/7. Photo: Shutterstock
In a 22/7 interview with Spanish journalist Gerard Romero, Cucurella revealed the team's surprise. "We were told Trump would present the trophy and that we shouldn't lift it until he left," the 27-year-old defender explained.
Just before the trophy lift, midfielder Cole Palmer asked James why Trump was still on stage. The English defender then turned to the former president and asked, "Are you going to leave?" Trump appeared to reply, "I'll celebrate with you," and continued clapping.
Cucurella continued, "We all waited for him to leave, but he wouldn't. When we looked at him, he said, 'Lift the Cup, I'll stay here.' I wondered who would tell him otherwise. I was terrified."
James confirmed the account, stating that organizers had informed them Trump would only present the trophy and then leave the stage. "I thought he would go down, but he wanted to stay," James said. "It was quite loud; I didn't hear everything he said. I just knew he congratulated me and the team and told us to enjoy the moment."
Chelsea won the match 3-0 with two goals from Cole Palmer and one from Joao Pedro. FIFA recognized them as the first world champions of the newly formatted Club World Cup. Previous Club World Cup titles (from 2000 to 2023) have been renamed the FIFA Intercontinental Cup to distinguish them from the expanded version.
Consequently, previous winners like Man Utd (2008), Liverpool (2019), Chelsea (2021), Man City (2023), Barca (4 times), and Real Madrid (5 times) now hold FIFA Intercontinental Cup titles rather than world championship titles.
Hong Duy (The Sun)
