Club World Cup: Reece James, Cole Palmer Shocked Over Donald Trump’s Behaviour

Chelsea players, Reece James, and Cole Palmer said they weren’t expecting the President of the United States, Donald Trump, to remain on the podium after presenting the trophy to the Premier League club.

Naija News reported that Donald Trump was one of the thousands of spectators who watched Chelsea defeat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the 2025 Club World Cup final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, United States, on Sunday night, July 13.

During the trophy presentation, the president of FIFA, Giovanni Infantino, accompanied Donald Trump to present the title to Chelsea’s captain, Reece James. Afterwards, Infantino called on Trump to leave the podium for the players to celebrate, but the 79-year-old remained on the stage.

“He [Trump] just congratulated me and the team for lifting the trophy and told us to enjoy the moment,” Reece James told reporters after the celebration on the podium.

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

Trump remained with James and goalkeeper Robert Sánchez during the lift, clapping as the English defender hoisted the silverware high. The US president stood proudly for a few more seconds before eventually stepping off with Infantino.

Cole Palmer, who scored twice and provided an assist in the final, admitted he didn’t expect Trump’s involvement to stretch quite so far.

“I knew he was going to be here, but I didn’t know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy,” said Palmer. “I was a bit confused, yes.”