Donald Trump Caught Secretly Pocketing Club World Cup Winners Medal—What Was He Thinking?

So here’s a thought that’ll make you chuckle and raise an eyebrow all at once—if any of those Chelsea players found themselves medal-less after their dazzling Club World Cup win on July 13, they might want to have a little chat with none other than Donald Trump. Yep, the ex-US President, who wasn’t exactly breaking a sweat on that pitch, was caught slipping one of those shiny winners’ medals right into his suit jacket like it was the hottest souvenir in the gift shop. While Chelsea was busy shutting down Paris Saint-Germain 3-0, Trump was quietly making sure he went home a ‘winner’ too—without even kicking a ball! Talk about stealing the spotlight (and a medal). Curious how this bit of medal mischief unfolded alongside FIFA boss Gianni Infantino’s approving thumbs-up? Dive into this quirky story that mingles sports, politics, and a sprinkle of unexpected antics. LEARN MORE.

If any Chelsea players went home from the Club World Cup empty handed on Sunday (13 July), they better take it up with Donald Trump.

The US President was spotted sneakily pocketing one of the winners medals which were doled out to members of the London club, who reigned victorious over Paris Saint-Germain.

Although he didn’t put any work in on the pitch to help the lads clinch the surprise 3-0 victory, the commander-in-chief went home a winner… in his own right, that is.

Trump, 79, was tasked with presenting medals to the Chelsea squad alongside FIFA boss Gianni Infantino on Sunday, but cameras caught him keeping hold of one for himself.

After handing out the Club World Cup medals to footie stars such as Cole Palmer, Moisés Caicedo and Joao Pedro, the US President realised he had one spare.

Trump kept hold of one of the medals which he doled out to the likes of Cole Palmer for himself (Carl Recine – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Footage shows him neatly folding the ribbon of the surplus medal, briefly conversing with Infantino and then popping the award inside of his suit jacket. Smooth.

FIFA’s president was seen giving Trump a thumbs up as he tucked his prize into his pocket, which we can only assume was Infantino giving the light-fingered behaviour his okay.

The pair then presented a huge trophy to Chelsea captain Reece James at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey – who revealed that the team essentially couldn’t get rid of Trump.

“They told me that he was going to present the trophy and exit the stage,” James told reporters afterwards. “I thought he was going to exit the stage, but he wanted to stay.”

Palmer had a similar perspective, as the midfielder admitted he was left ‘a bit confused’ by Trump’s presence.

After riding on the coattails of the Chelsea team, the President then got straight back to business while chatting to DAZN reporter Emily Austin.

He seemed to have had enough of sporting talk, as he instead took the opportunity to boast about how he brought back America from the ‘dead’, while slamming the previous administration.

But what he did say about the Club World Cup is that it’s all about ‘unity’, ‘everybody getting together’ and ‘a lot of love between countries.’

“I guess this is probably the most international sport, so it can really bring the world together,” Trump said of the football tournament.

The Club World Cup was something of a taster of what the President – who boasts a net worth of about $5.2billion, according to Forbes – has got in store for sports fans when the 2026 World Cup kicks off.

The US, Mexico and Canada are joint-hosting the international tournament next year, and millions of fans from across the globe are set to head to the host countries.

Trump might want to take heed of the criticism of the halftime show at the Club World Cup before then, though, to avoid receiving the same lacklustre reaction on the global stage next year.