President Donald Trump is set to exhibit his unexpected connection to a sport on Sunday, where “America First” currently remains an aspiration. The US president is attending the final of the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup, utilizing the beautiful game as a political soft power instrument.
His presence at MetLife stadium in New Jersey, where Paris Saint-Germain faces Chelsea, is effectively a trial run for the World Cup final, scheduled to take place at the same venue next year. Trump has made it clear that he views both tournaments, along with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, as key events for showcasing what he terms the “Golden Age of America” during his second term.
The billionaire Republican’s close rapport with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, a frequent visitor to the White House, is also a factor in his appearance. Trump has kept the Club World Cup trophy next to his desk in the Oval Office since Infantino stopped by in March.
Trump’s embrace of football, or soccer as he would say, is also a personal matter. The president’s 19-year-old son, Barron, is a fan, as Infantino highlighted during a press conference at FIFA’s new office in Trump Tower in New York on Saturday.
When asked if Trump liked the game, Infantino responded: “Well I think he does. In his first term as president of the United States there was a soccer goal in the garden of the White House.”
“He then explained to me that his son loved football, and that he loved the game. And of course when you are a parent, you love what your children love, so I think that he loves it.” As a student at the New York Military Academy, Trump himself reportedly played the game for one season.
‘Go Home’
Trump’s apparent fondness for football may seem unusual for a country where, despite increasing popularity, the sport still lags behind American football, basketball, and baseball. However, the former reality TV star has always possessed a keen sense for popularity, power, and influence. And football provides all three in its own way.
Trump noted during Infantino’s visit to the White House in March that the United States secured the right to host the 2026 World Cup in 2018, during his first presidential term. He mentioned he was “so sad” because he assumed he would not be president when the tournament arrived—but his 2020 election loss meant he would be after all.
Meanwhile, the FIFA Club World Cup has proven more successful than its critics anticipated, with approximately 2.5 million people attending games across the country and featuring some gripping matches. Infantino, who is accustomed to dealing with hard-nosed leaders globally, thanked Trump for his support on Saturday. He said Trump “embraced immediately the importance of the FIFA Club World Cup, and of course of the World Cup next year.” Infantino also joked that Trump “certainly loves as well the trophy”—whose gold-plated curves align with the gilded makeover the president has given the Oval Office.
However, in typical fashion, Trump has also intertwined political controversy with his football fandom. While hosting the Italian side Juventus in the Oval Office in June, he delivered a diatribe on transgender people in sports before asking the players: “Could a woman make your team, fellas?” Most players appeared confused before Juventus general manager Damien Comolli replied: “We have a very good women’s team.” “He’s being very diplomatic,” said Trump.
Trump’s stringent immigration crackdown—part of his “America First” policy—has meanwhile raised concerns that football fans will be discouraged from traveling to the United States. In May, Vice President JD Vance stated that 2026 World Cup fans were “welcome to come… but when the time is up they will have to go home.”
