Trump booed as Chelsea players raise Fifa Club World Cup trophy
Trump was booed and cheered in the MetLife Stadium as he spent the afternoon next to his wife Melania, the first lady, and Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president. He saluted and sang along to The Star-Spangled Banner, America's national anthem, a year to the day since he survived an attempted assassination at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final of a tournament that has drawn almost 2.5 million fans over the last three weeks, making it one of the best-attended sporting events in American history.
A delighted Trump later joined the Chelsea players as they raised the trophy. He beamed as the jubilant footballers, including the England stars Reece James and Cole Palmer, celebrated around him, perhaps previewing what the victorious team at the World Cup can expect.
While football is the world's most popular sport, in the US, 'soccer' has long been overshadowed by American football, baseball, hockey and basketball. Yet Trump has embraced football and often speaks of his excitement about next year's World Cup, which will be held in the US, Canada and Mexico. The Olympics will be held in Los Angeles in 2028.
During speeches this year, he has said that losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden worked out for the best because it allowed him to be president while two major sporting events arrived in America. 'Can you imagine? I missed that four years, and now look what I have. I have everything,' he said in May.
Trump enjoys attending sporting events and uses them to project the image of a beloved statesman. He is a regular guest at Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events, where he soaks up the adulation of the crowd while slowly making his way to his ringside seat.
In June last year, days after a guilty verdict in a hush money criminal trial, Trump received a standing ovation at a UFC fight in New Jersey, suggesting his legal problems would have a limited impact on the presidential election. He defeated Kamala Harris in November.
In February, Trump became the first sitting US president to attend the Super Bowl, held in New Orleans. Trump has also attended the Daytona 500 race in Florida and the National Collegiate Athletic Association wrestling championships in Philadelphia this year.
However, he has shown a particular interest in the World Cup. Trump worked hard to secure the World Cup during his first term in 2018 and has a replica of the golden trophy in the Oval Office.
Alexi Lalas, a former US defender who played in the 1994 World Cup in America, previously told The Times that Trump 'is the most pro-soccer president that we have ever had'.
'From a cultural, legacy and political perspective, he understands the power of what is coming next summer,' he said.
Trump is expected to attend the opening game at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City next June, and will surely be at the MetLife for the final in July to hand over the trophy to the winning team.
Alan Rothenberg, who led the organising committee for the 1994 World Cup, which was held solely in the United States, expects the president to be 'front and centre' of next year's tournament, and said that he may 'want to kick out the ceremonial first ball'.
He said: 'There's one thing nobody would dispute. Trump enjoys the attention.'
As well as the World Cup, 2026 is the 250th anniversary of America's founding, another event Trump is delighted to be presiding over. Trump has promised a UFC championship fight in the grounds of the White House to celebrate the milestone.
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