Everyone was confused why Trump was there. Credit: David Ramos / Getty
Donald Trump claimed he will keep the real Club World Cup trophy, while Chelsea, the winners, will get a replica.
If his celebration with the team seemed odd, this claim is even stranger.
Chelsea won the FIFA Club World Cup on July 13 with a dominant 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium.
Cole Palmer scored twice, and João Pedro added a goal to seal the win for Enzo Maresca’s side.
PSG entered as favorites, making the result even more surprising.
Yet Trump managed to steal the spotlight.
He presided over the trophy ceremony and even joined Chelsea onstage as Reece James lifted the trophy.
Who knew Trump was a diehard Chelsea fan?
The gold trophy Reece James lifted wasn’t the real one.
Reports claim Trump took the original — a 24-carat gold-plated Tiffany & Co FIFA Club World Cup trophy — to the Oval Office.
The trophy features a central disc with three rotating rings and reportedly cost around $230,000.
It’s now said to be on permanent display in the Oval Office or headed to the National Archives.
Trump shared his side during a mid-game chat with DAZN:
“They [FIFA] 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?’
[Gianni Infantino] said: ‘We’re never going to pick it up, you can have it forever in the Oval Office.’”
He added: “They made a new one [for Chelsea], but right now [the original] is in the Oval.”
If Trump’s antics confused you, Chelsea star Cole Palmer felt the same.
Fans quickly guessed his reaction, lip-reading him saying: “What’s he doing?”
Palmer later told The Independent he didn’t expect Trump on the stage:
“I knew he was going to be here, but I didn’t know he’d be on the stand where we lift the trophy.
So, I was a bit confused.”
He also reflected on the win:
“It’s a great feeling. Even better because everyone doubted us before the game.
To put a fight on like we did, it’s good.”
Palmer praised the manager too:
“The gaffer put a great gameplan out. He knew where the space would be.
He tried to free me up as much as possible, and I just had to repay him and score some goals.”
