Wait, Did Trump Really Take Chelsea’s FIFA Trophy?
Besides the whole booing thing, it looks like Donald Trump sure had a good time at the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday. He was accompanied by his wife Melania and his son Donald Trump Jr., who couldn’t stop making out with his socialite girlfriend. Also he got to tell everyone that he currently has the original FIFA trophy sitting in the White House. Why? I’m not really sure.
According to a little anecdote Trump shared during a mid-game interview, he has had custody of the official Club World Cup trophy since March, when FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited D.C. to reveal its new look designed by Tiffany & Co. Trump describes what happened like this: “They [FIFA] said, ‘Could you hold this trophy for a little while?’ We put it in the Oval Office and then I said, ‘When are you going to pick up the trophy’, and [Infantino] said, ‘We’re never going to pick it up, you can have it forever in the Oval Office.’” He added that FIFA made a replica of the trophy, which was the one awarded to Chelsea FC after their win on Sunday.
Unlike a lot of things Trump says, this is actually not that far-fetched given that he and the FIFA president appear to have a bit of a bromance going. Infantino attended the inauguration back in January and has said that having a relationship with the president is “absolutely crucial for the success of a World Cup,” per The Guardian.
Based on photos from the past few months, the FIFA trophy is indeed a prominent feature of the Oval Office’s gaudy golden décor, collecting dust behind the Resolute Desk. It was photographed during a press briefing and a visit from the foreign minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in June and was even visible when Elon Musk was given a key to the White House in May.
Right now, all we have is Trump’s word on the trophy’s whereabouts, so it’s unclear whether his best bud at FIFA plans to take it back at any point. It could very well still be sitting in the Oval Office, surrounded by cluttered walls and zero negative space. Hey, at least it matches the color scheme.
Unfortunately, the real losers in this situation are the players of Chelsea FC. Trump not only has custody of their rightful trophy but he crashed their victory photo op. Better luck next time!
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