Arya News - Trump, in a departure from previous soccer tournaments, remained on stage during Chelsea`s celebration.
At the Club World Cup, though, Infantino and Trump went a step further — a sign of their friendship, and the lengths to which Infantino will go to appease Trump, theoretically in exchange for help from the U.S. government in organizing this Club World Cup and next year’s 2026 World Cup.
Infantino has called the relationship "absolutely crucial." He has visited the Oval Office several times, including for the first meeting of the White House"s 2026 World Cup Task Force, an inter-agency group that Trump established in March to assist with World Cup planning.
Other members of the task force, and of Trump"s cabinet — including U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem — were also in attendance at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
Vice President J.D. Vance attended an earlier Club World Cup match in Cincinnati, but Sunday"s game was the first that Trump attended. Security measures were tightened, with Secret Service agents stationed around the stadium grounds.
Trump arrived in the hour before kickoff. He watched the game from a midfield suite next to Infantino. He was shown briefly on in-stadium video boards prior to the U.S. national anthem — which was played about 10 minutes before kickoff, a departure from previous games — but most fans didn’t notice him. There was only a smattering of boos and whistles.
Trump was then more visible during the trophy ceremony. Boos erupted when he was first shown on the field, and drowned out any cheers. A few more rounds of boos and whistles greeted his image the next few times it was shown on video boards.
Chelsea players and coach Enzo Maresca mostly gave apolitical, basic answers when asked about Trump"s involvement in the postgame proceedings.
"It probably highlights how important the tournament is," James said.