President Donald Trump is once again at the center of controversy—this time for reportedly keeping the original Gold Club World Cup trophy that rightfully belonged to Chelsea Football Club. The backlash began after The Daily Beast revealed on Monday that Trump walked away from the high-profile soccer event with a piece of international sports hardware that wasn’t his.
Trump had attended the Gold Club World Cup final over the weekend, watching Paris Saint-Germain face off against Chelsea. He was also involved in the trophy presentation ceremony, handing the championship trophy to Chelsea after their victory.
However, eyebrows were raised when it emerged that Chelsea did not receive the original trophy, but instead a replica, because Trump allegedly took the real one. In an in-game interview with DAZN, Trump appeared to confirm the situation himself.
“‘When are you going to pick up the trophy?’ And [FIFA President Gianni Infantino] said: ‘We’re never going to pick it up, you can have it forever in the Oval Office,’” Trump said, according to The Daily Beast.
“And they actually made a new one [for Chelsea], but right now [the original] is in the Oval,” he added. The revelation quickly ignited a social media firestorm, with critics accusing the former president of inappropriate behavior and narcissism.
“Oh, this is so deeply, profoundly, shameful,” wrote lawyer David Burke on X (formerly Twitter). “So add kleptomania to all his other mental illnesses,” sports commentator Keith Olbermann posted.
“Beyond parody,” added James Singer, a former staffer for Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign. “Why has he infected soccer? Is there no refuge from that man?” writer Parker Molloy asked on Bluesky.
In a move that seemed to signal their own discomfort with the situation, Chelsea later released a team photo from the trophy ceremony, with Trump noticeably photoshopped out.
That decision earned praise across the political spectrum, including from Democratic strategist Chris Jackson, who posted: “I don’t know a thing about soccer, but Chelsea is my new favorite team.”
Neither Trump’s office nor FIFA has issued an official statement regarding whether the trophy was formally gifted or improperly retained. Meanwhile, criticism continues to mount over Trump’s latest attention-grabbing moment—one that has now managed to blur the lines between politics, sportsmanship, and presidential propriety.