Being the center of attention is something that Donald Trump loves to be and the same thing happened when he took the stage after Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final. Trump arrived at the MetLife Stadium with extra protection and appeared on stage with FIFA president Gianni Infantino though his name was not announced initially.
The straightforward award show then turned into a rather awkward affair as Trump refused to leave the stage even after handing over the awards. Infantino tried to take Trump away from the stage before the lifting of the cup but the American President refused to do so.
Trump therefore stayed put on the stage while Chelsea captain Reece James hoisted the Club World Cup trophy over his head. Trump also stayed for the photos and clicked pictures with the players where he appeared rather stiff. Infantino also stood by his side throughout the process.
It is important to note here that Infantino has been deemed as an “excellent guy” by Trump. Moreover, FIFA is building quite a good relationship with the political leadership of America and that has also led to one of FIFA’s offices in the Trump Tower.
Talking about the same, Infantino said, “FIFA [is] a global organization [and] to be global, you have to be local. You have to be everywhere, so we have to be in New York — not just for the FIFA Club World Cup this year and the FIFA World Cup next year — we have to be in New York as well when it comes to where our offices are based.”
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He further added, “So today, we are opening an office of FIFA here in Trump Tower. Thank you, Eric [Trump], thank you to everyone. Thanks, of course, to President [Donald] Trump as well, who is a big fan of soccer, [together with] the whole family.”
His words show how FIFA is strategically aligning itself with the global sports strategy that America follows. While Trump’s appearance on stage did take away some of the attention, the celebration maintained its essence as Chelsea emerged victorious after striker Cole Palmer’s brace (goals in the 22nd and 29th minutes) and summer signing João Pedro scoring in the 42nd minute secured the 3–0 win as reported by Irish Star.
The publication further reported that with Joao Neves being sent off late in the match, PSG’s chances of winning dwindled even further as it brought their player number to 10. Chelsea’s win earned them their second Club World Cup title as their first one was in 2021. The team also won a record $40 million prize for the Champions.
