Donald Trump names his football GOAT
Chelsea’s Club World Cup victory in July 2025 was meant to be a football story. Instead, part of the post-match conversation centered on a familiar political figure and a decades-old sporting memory.
In an interview with DAZN after the final, US President Donald Trump was asked to name the greatest footballer of all time. Rather than choose Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, he reached back to the 1970s and the arrival of Pele in the United States.
“Many years ago, when I was young, they brought a player named Pele to play and he played for a team called the Cosmos,” Trump said, recalling packed crowds at the old Meadowlands stadium. Calling the Brazilian “fantastic,” he added that he would “go old-fashioned” and rank Pele above modern stars.
Pele, who died in 2022 at 82, won his first World Cup at 17 and later helped draw unprecedented attention to soccer in the US during his stint with the New York Cosmos. His signing is still widely viewed as a turning point for the sport’s visibility in America.
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Trump’s appearance had already become a talking point before his GOAT selection.
A Ceremony That Didn’t Go Quite to Script
Following Chelsea’s win over Paris Saint-Germain, Trump joined FIFA president Gianni Infantino on stage for the trophy presentation. According to post-match interviews with players, he had been expected to leave after handing over the trophy. Instead, he remained alongside captain Reece James as the team celebrated.
James later explained the situation to reporters.
"They told me that he was going to present the trophy and then exit the stage, and I thought that he was going to exit the stage, but he wanted to stay,” James said, adding that Trump congratulated the squad and encouraged them to enjoy the moment.
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Midfielder Cole Palmer, who was named Man of the Match, admitted he was caught off guard.
"I knew he was going to be here but I didn't know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy. I was a bit confused, yes," Palmer said.
Images of a sitting US president standing among jubilant club players quickly circulated, giving the final an added layer of spectacle beyond the result itself.
Trump also spoke during the match. In half-time comments broadcast during the game, he praised Infantino and joked about the American preference for the word “soccer.”
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"Gianni is a friend of mine, he's done such a great job with the league and with soccer - or as they would call it 'football', but I guess we call it soccer," he said, describing the match as “great to watch” and hinting at a potential upset.
Chelsea ultimately sealed the title, but the night will likely be remembered for more than just the scoreline a reminder of how global sport and political presence can intersect in unexpected ways.
Sources: DAZN interview, post-match media interviews with Reece James and Cole Palmer
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