The President of the United States, regularly referred to by the acronym POTUS, is often called the most powerful person in the world. And the present resident of the White House is also one of the richest. But does that explain Donald Trump possessing a trophy that neither he, nor any American sportsperson or team, has won?
When the White House recently posted a picture of Trump with some other world leaders at his official residence, some sharp football fans noticed something they didn’t expect to find at the Oval Office – the FIFA Club World Cup trophy.
Premier League outfit Chelsea clinched the silverware last month, beating UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in the final in New Jersey. But there it was, occupying pride of place at the office of the US president.
When asked about it, Trump said he had been told he could keep it, in recognition of the United States hosting the month-long tournament. It was Trump who handed over the trophy to the tournament winners at the post-match ceremony, and remained on the podium for some time afterwards before being asked to step backstage by FIFA president Giovanni Infantino.
“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’,” Trump was quoted as saying in an interview with DAZN.
“And they actually made a new one. So that was quite exciting, but it is in the Oval [Office] right now.”
But football’s world governing body cleared the air on any confusion, informing that there are in fact three Club World Club trophies in existence.
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The original engraved version resides at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. All original trophies – including the FIFA World Cup – stay there.
Winners of every FIFA tournament get a replica to keep and showcase. Chelsea paraded their trophy during their pre-season friendly against AC Milan.
There’s a third version that resides at the Oval Office of the White House, in “recognition of the 2025 tournament’s exceptional hosts”, FIFA was quoted as saying by BBC Sport.
The Club World Cup was held across 11 cities in the United States, but there was criticism over low attendances, high temperatures and poor quality of playing surfaces.
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It was considered a sort of dress rehearsal for next year’s 48-team FIFA World Cup which the US will co-host along with Canada and Mexico.
