Trump and the Club World Cup final VIPs: A guide to the politicians, sports stars and tycoons at MetLife Stadium
A remarkable list of VIPs filed into MetLife Stadium on Sunday to witness Chelsea's defeat of Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup final, and many of them were not connected to soccer.
President Donald Trump and the First Lady, Melania, may have been the focus of attention but this is a brief guide to the other politicians, celebrities and business tycoons who were more than happy to accept an invite.
Gianni Infantino is arguably the most influential man in football. The Swiss-Italian is president of FIFA, the sport's world governing body, stepping into this role in 2016. A lawyer by trade, he also previously held high-ranking roles at UEFA. He's enjoyed a close relationship with Trump in recent years, with FIFA this week announcing they opened an office at Trump Tower as they prepare for next year's World Cup. Infantino was seen in Trump's box at the Club World Cup alongside his wife, Leena Al Ashqar.
Steve Witkoff is the United States special enjoy to the Middle East. He's an American lawyer and real estate investor, best known as founder and chairman of his namesake real estate development firm Witkoff Group. Ahead of kickoff, Witkoff made headlines after he told reporters at Teterboro Airport that he's 'hopeful' about Gaza negotiations, and that he plans to meet with Qatari officials on the sidelines of the Club World Cup this afternoon.
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Jared Kushner is President Trump's son-in-law, married to Ivanka Trump. The businessman and investor previously served as a senior adviser in Trump's previous administration. He took over his family's real estate business, the Kushner Companies, after his father, Charles, was convicted for 18 criminal charges in 2005. In 2020, Trump pardoned him.
Donald Trump Jr. is the eldest son of President Trump and first wife Ivana. The 47-year-old businessman is an outspoken supporter of his father and serves as trustee and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, which he runs with his younger brother Eric. Trump Jr. was accompanied on Sunday afternoon with Florida socialite Bettina Anderson, who he reportedly started dating last year.
Michael Boulos is married to Tiffany Trump, another of President Trump's children and the only daughter he shared with ex-wife Marla Maples. Boulous is the son of billionaire Massad Boulous, an American-Lebanese businessman and Trump's senior advisor on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.
Boris Epshteyn is a longtime ally of President Trump. He's served as the personal senior counsel to Trump since January and was previously a strategic advisor on Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2020. Last year, he was accused of seeking payments from people to promote them for roles in Trump's then-incoming administration.
Pam Bondi is the United States attorney general. She assumed office in February and has deep ties to Trump. The lawyer previously was part of Trump's defense team during his first impeachment trial, and she also led the legal arm of the right-wing think tank, America First Policy Institute. She attended alongside husband John Wakefield.
Don Garber is the longtime commissioner of Major League Soccer, having served in this role since 1999. He's considered one of the most influential people in American soccer, and also serves as CEO of Soccer United Marketing, the marketing arm of MLS. He is best known for his time in soccer, but in a past life spent 16 years with the NFL.
Woody Johnson is the owner of the NFL's New York Jets, one of the main tenants of MetLife Stadium. Formally known as Robert Wood Johnson IV, he is the great grandson of Robert Wood Johnson I and an heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune. He is a longtime donor to the Republican party, and supporter of Trump. Under Trump, he served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2021. He recently became an investor in Premier League club Crystal Palace.
Tom Brady is considered the greatest NFL quarterback of all time. He played for 23 seasons, with 20 of those years spent with the New England Patriots. He ended his career, though, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, retiring (for a second time) in 2023. He briefly retired in 2022, but changed his mind after 40 days. In 2023, he bought a stake in English soccer team Birmingham City Football Club.
Michael Rubin is an American businessman best known as founder and CEO of Fanatics, which has a close working relationship with FIFA. FIFA has a prominent showing at Fanatics Fest in New York City earlier this tournament, with the governing body enjoying some serious floorspace at the Javits Center. FIFA president Gianni Infantino also made a guest appearance there, with their partnership only likely to grow for 2026.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi has served as president of Paris Saint-Germain Football Club since 2011, following his appointment as Chairman of Qatar Sports Investments, which acquired ownership of the club that year. He hold various roles across football, including sitting on the board of France's Ligue de Football Professionnel and is a member of UEFA's Executive Committee. The Qatari businessman is a former professional tennis player, and serves as chairman of beIN Media Group.
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A member of Qatar's royal family, Sheikh Hamad Khalifa Al Thani was the ruling Emir of Qatar from 1995 until 2013, when he handed power to his son Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Moutaz Al-Khayyat is a Qatari businessman based in Doha best known as chairman of Power International Holding and UCC Holding. His brother, Ramez Al-Khayyat, is also president and GCEO of Power International Holding, which was listed by Forbes in the Middle East's Top 100 Arab Family Businesses.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is an Ethiopian public health official, researcher and diplomat and the Director-General of the World Health Organization. He's been in this role since 2017 and was the first African to serve in this capacity.
Behdad Eghbali is an Iranian-American billionaire businessman and co-founder and managing partner of Clearlake Capital, the private equity firm that, along with Todd Boehly, co-owns Chelsea Football Club. Boehly also co-owns the MLB team Los Angeles Dodgers and NBA franchise Los Angeles Lakers.
Trump was also pictured with a host of soccer A-listers before the final, including former France and Chelsea stars Didier Deschamps andMarcel Desailly, former Italy internationals Roberto Baggio, Alessandro Del Piero and Marco Materazzi, ex-Brazil players Ronaldo and Kaka and Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
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