U.S. President Donald Trump joined Chelsea on stage Sunday evening because the crew celebrated a surprising 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain to win the FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
With Trump watching from the stands, Cole Palmer delivered a standout efficiency, scoring twice and aiding one other, because the underdog Blues dismantled the Champions League holders in entrance of a crowd of 81,118.
After the ultimate whistle, Trump appeared alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino for the trophy presentation, drawing some boos from sections of the gang. He handed the trophy to Chelsea captain Reece James, then lingered on stage regardless of Infantino’s obvious gesture for him to step apart.
Unfazed, Trump remained in place as James hoisted the trophy and the crew launched into their celebrations beneath a cascade of fireworks and confetti.
“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,” James mentioned afterward.
Asked what Trump mentioned to him, James added, “To be honest it was quite loud. I couldn’t hear too much. He just congratulated me and the team for lifting the trophy and told us to enjoy the moment.”
Match-winner Palmer appeared bemused by the second.
“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,” Palmer mentioned. “I was a bit confused, yes.”
Palmer scored two first-half targets and arrange Joao Pedro for the third, as Chelsea defied the chances in New Jersey to stun the reigning European champions.
Chelsea’s victory capped FIFA’s newly expanded 32-team event and earned the Premier League facet a prize of greater than 90 million kilos (about $121 million).
Trump mentioned he loved the event, telling broadcaster DAZN at halftime, “I am having a really great time. Tremendous sport.”
In an extended interview broadcast after the match, Trump revealed that his favourite participant of all time is Pele and supplied reward for the event.
“It’s a big thing,” he mentioned. “Gianni is a pal of mine. He’s carried out such an important job with the league and with soccer – or as they’d name it, ‘football,’ however I assume we name it soccer. But I’m certain that change might be made very simply.
“But it’s great to watch – and this is a little bit of an upset that we’re watching today, isn’t it? So far. It’s incredible.”
When requested if he would contemplate issuing an govt order to rename the game “football,” Trump replied with a smile, “I think we could do that. I think I could do that.”
Trump was additionally requested whether or not he sees a future by which the U.S., set to co-host the lads’s World Cup with Canada and Mexico subsequent summer season, may dominate in soccer.
“I can tell you we’re doing very well on the other stage – on the political stage, on the final stage,” he mentioned. “We were doing very badly as a country. We had an incompetent administration, and now we have a hot country. It’s really hot, and I think the soccer is going to be very hot here too.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com