Trump booed but unbowed at Club World Cup final as he crashes Chelsea's trophy lift
Trump was booed while appearing on video boards during the playing of the national anthem before the match, and then later while walking out with Fifa president Gianni Infantino to present the competition's trophy, individual awards and runners-up medals.
Later, Trump and Infantino jointly carried the Club World Cup trophy to the Chelsea team on the stage. Infantino moved out of frame of television cameras while Trump stayed put, finding himself squarely in focus as Chelsea captain Reece James lifted the trophy and his teammates celebrated around him.
The final of the newly expanded tournament, ostensibly aimed at crowning a world champion of club soccer, kicked off at 3pm local time amid the searing heat that has been one of the storylines of the controversial competition so far. To the extent there was a US-specific connection in the matchup, it lay with Chelsea, owned by a group headed by American billionaire Todd Boehly, who joined Trump, Infantino and PSG chair Nasser al-Khelaifi on stage after the match.
Security at the stadium was significantly elevated from previous matches held at the venue, with Secret Service agents posted at stadium gates. Lines to get in moved slowly but without major incident as temperatures rose to 85F (29C) for the a kickoff that was delayed by about eight minutes.
The president's motorcade pulled into a special entrance located adjacent to the players', with Trump and his entourage exiting his car under a tent with curtains drawn about 30 minutes before the match. The US national anthem, which had been played one hour before kick-off at every previous Club World Cup game as a regular part of the pre-game schedule, was moved up to take place just before the start of the game with Trump due to be present. When Trump was shown on stadium video boards standing for the anthem, the crowd reacted with booing for several seconds.
Related: Is the Club World Cup a good addition to the football calendar?
Accompanying Trump in the midfield luxury box were Infantino, the former New England Patriots quarterback and current Fox Sports commentator Tom Brady, and media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Members of Trump's cabinet, including attorney general Pam Bondi, transportation secretary Sean Duffy and Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem were also present, as was the Club World Cup trophy, which has sat in the Oval Office since Infantino presented it to Trump in an event earlier this year.
Infantino has sought to form a closer association with Trump on several occasions since Fifa awarded the Club World Cup hosting rights to the United States in 2023. He described his relationship with Trump as 'absolutely crucial' in a February meeting with the International Football Association Board, and has appeared alongside Trump at several public events, including at the Oval Office when announcing the creation of a World Cup task force.
Infantino was later present at the first public meeting of the World Cup task force, at which he was seated alongside Trump with vice-president JD Vance, and accompanied Trump to the Middle East this year – a trip that made him late for the Fifa congress in Paraguay, angering Fifa delegates who walked out of the gathering in protest.
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