The first 32-team Club World Cup ended on a surreal note. Donald Trump took center stage at the final, held at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium – almost on par with Cole Palmer and Luis Enrique. The U.S. president presented the trophy to the Chelsea players and celebrated with them, front and center on the podium, to the evident confusion of the team. The trophy, it turns out, wasn’t even the original. Chelsea captain Reece James lifted a mere replica.

Where is the real Club World Cup trophy?

The real Club World Cup trophy has been sitting in the Oval Office since March, after Gianni Infantino visited the Republican leader to promote the tournament to U.S.-based White House reporters. That day, the FIFA president unveiled the unusual trophy – circular in shape and fitted with a mechanism that allows its rings to rotate on their axis with a key – which drew praise from Trump. The trophy stayed behind as décor in the Oval Office, now a silent witness to historical moments like the Trump-Zelensky call. And that’s where it will remain.

“They asked me, ‘Can you keep this trophy in the Oval Office?’ Then I said, ‘Are you coming to pick it up?’ And they said, ‘We’re never picking it up, you can keep it forever in the Oval – we’re making a new one,’” Trump revealed in an interview with DAZN, the official broadcaster of the Club World Cup. “And they made a new one. That was exciting – but right now, the original is in the Oval,” he added. FIFA has yet to confirm whether Trump’s claims are accurate, or what differences exist between the two trophies.

“Soccer unites the world”

Trump also made a statement in favor of football’s power to bring people together – a stance that contrasts with some of his administration’s policies: travel bans affecting fans, threats of ICE raids at stadiums, and increased visa processing fees are among the more controversial measures that could impact the 2026 World Cup.

“It’s about being together, and a lot of love between countries. I think it’s probably the most international sport – so it really can unite the world,” he said.

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