President Donald Trump will attend the FIFA Club World Cup final in the U.S. on Sunday.
Trump is attending the final of the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup in his latest use of the beautiful game as a soft power political weapon.
His appearance at the MetLife stadium in New Jersey, where Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) face Chelsea, is very much a trial run for the World Cup final, which will take place in the same stadium next year.
Trump has made it clear he sees both tournaments, as well as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, as showpieces for what he calls the “Golden Age of America” during his second term.
The president’s close friendship with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, a frequent visitor to the White House, is also a factor in his appearance.
Trump has kept the Club World Cup trophy next to his desk in the Oval Office since Infantino dropped by in March.
Trump’s hardline immigration crackdown – part of his “America First” policy – has meanwhile sparked fears that football fans will be discouraged from coming to the United States.
In May, Vice President JD Vance said 2026 World Cup fans were “welcome to come… but when the time is up they will have to go home.”
