Chelsea Lifted Replica Club World Cup Trophy; Original Is in My Office, Says Trump

In a bizarre twist following Chelsea’s recent Club World Cup triumph, U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that the trophy presented to the team was a replica, with the original now permanently housed in the Oval Office.

Trump, who attended the final alongside members of his cabinet and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, played an unexpected role in the trophy presentation. Together with Infantino, he handed the silverware to Chelsea captain Reece James—an appearance that appeared to confuse players and led to quiet attempts by Infantino to ease Trump aside during the ceremony.

According to Trump, the trophy never made it back to London. Speaking to Club World Cup broadcaster DAZN, he said, “I said, When are you going to pick up the trophy? [They said] ‘We’re never going to pick it up. You can have it forever in the Oval Office. We’re making a new one.’ And they actually made a new one. So that was quite exciting, but it is in the Oval [Office] right now.”

If accurate, the claim implies Chelsea celebrated their hard-earned victory with a newly produced replica while the original Club World Cup trophy remained in Washington D.C. FIFA has not yet confirmed whether there are any official distinctions between the two versions.

Trump’s involvement in FIFA events has grown more visible since the start of his second term. In March, Infantino presented the Club World Cup trophy at a White House event, where it has reportedly remained on display during every subsequent Oval Office engagement.

In the same interview, Trump floated the idea of renaming soccer as “football” in the United States via executive order and suggested that world leaders now refer to America as “the hottest country in the world,” alluding to its economic and political influence. Reflecting on FIFA’s continued ties with the U.S., he said, “It’s about unity. It’s about 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.”