Donald Trump has claimed that he's getting to keep the real Club World Cup trophy while Chelsea, who won the competition, will get a replica.
If you thought Trump celebrating with the team was unusual, then this is even more bizarre.
Chelsea clinched the FIFA Club World Cup title on Sunday, July 13, with a commanding 3‑0 win over Paris Saint‑Germain at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
A brace from Cole Palmer and a goal from João Pedro sealed victory for Enzo Maresca’s side against a PSG side that many believed to be the favorites.
While the result on the pitch was quite shocking, it was somehow upstaged by Donald Trump.
Trump not only presided over the trophy ceremony, but he also appeared to join Chelsea onstage as captain Reece James lifted the trophy.
Who would have thought he was a diehard Chelsea fan?
Well, it turns out the giant gold trophy hoisted by James during the ceremony wasn’t the real one.
Trump reportedly took the original — the 24‑carat gold‑plated, Tiffany & Co FIFA Club World Cup trophy — back to the Oval Office.
The structure, which features a central disc with three rotating outer rings and is estimated to have cost around $230,000 to make, is now said to be permanently displayed in the Oval Office — or possibly destined for the National Archives.
Trump himself explained his version of events during a mid‑game conversation 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’, and [FIFA President Gianni Infantino] said: ‘We’re never going to pick it up, you can have it forever in the Oval Office’.”
He added: “And they actually made a new one [for Chelsea] but right now [the original] is in the Oval.”
If you're confused by Trump's antics, then Chelsea star Cole Palmer is right there with you.
Fans quickly decoded what they believed to be Palmer’s reaction, with many lip-reading him uttering the words: “What’s he doing?”
Palmer later confirmed to The Independent that he didn’t expect Trump to be on the platform during the lift: “I knew he was going to be here, but I didn’t know he was going to be on the stand where we lift the trophy. So, I was a bit confused.”
He reflected on the match as well: “It’s a great feeling. Even better because everyone doubted us before the game, we knew that. To put a fight on like we did, it’s good.”
He also praised the manager: “The gaffer put a great gameplan out. He knew where the space was going to be. He tried to free me up as much as possible and I just had to repay him and score some goals.”