On a night that was supposed to be one of celebration, following Chelsea's comprehensive 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup final, it wasn't the real curveball that occurred on the pitch but at the podium.
MetLife Stadium was filled on Sunday night (July 13, 2025) as fans from around the world gathered to witness the crowning moment of the recently reformatted Club World Cup. A side featuring a specific team of mine, incidentally, Tammy Abraham was on the bench. The team, which had been playing beyond their station, struggled from the very opening exchanges. With two goals from the prodigious Cole Palmer and a third from João Pedro, the London club's name was added to the roll of honour. But as confetti rained down and the players prepared to bask in their moment of glory, the scene went off track in a surreal direction.
The former president, Donald Trump, accompanied by Melania, sparked a mixed bag of reactions even before the kickoff. Their arrival was applauded, but when Trump's face appeared on the jumbotron during the anthem, a chorus of boos emanated from the stands, and that was before the warm-up act.
Trump resurfaced with Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, after the final whistle to award the medals. But after performing the pleasantries customary procedure, Trump remained planted, and an awkward period of limbo ensued as the Chelsea players didn't know where to look. Infantino slinked away, leaving Trump in center frame just when Reece James was meant to be lifting the trophy.
Goalkeeper Robert Sánchez eventually administered the nudge, and James moved more or less, and with a bit of side-eye to create the now-viral image of the Chelsea squad celebrating around a stone-faced former U.S. president standing in the middle of them all, a photobomber at the world's premier soccer party.
"I knew he was going to be there," Cole Palmer said in the aftermath, "but I didn't know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy, so I was a bit confused."
James added, "They told me he was going to give out the trophy and leave. I just realized, I mean, I thought he was going to get off the stage, but he refused to leave.
The confusion didn't stop there. Eagle-eyed fans saw Infantino passing what appeared to be a winner's medal to Trump, causing a stir online and an inquiry from CNN Sports. FIFA has yet to confirm whether Trump was officially presented with a medal or whether it was just a friendly exchange that has turned into a farcical spectacle.
Trump, unflappable as ever, shrugged it off. "It was an upset today, I guess," he said to reporters, grinning. "But it was a great match."
In his suite, high-powered guests added intrigue, including Tom Brady, Rupert Murdoch, Kristi Noem, Sean Duffy, and Pam Bondi, among others.
With the halftime performance that seemed more Super Bowl than soccer, the dark specter of last year's failed assassination attempt on Trump and the growing spotlight of the 2026 World Cup, which is coming to North America, loomed over this final, ensuring no lack of drama.
Chelsea won the title in the end, but Trump might have stolen the show. For better or worse, the most-discussed moment of the final wasn't the goals, but instead awkwardly standing behind the trophy.
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