President Donald Trump is reportedly set to attend the FIFA Club World Cup Final on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, even though neither of the finalist teams are confirmed to be American.
This event marks the first global soccer final in the US since the 2003 Women’s World Cup. The competing teams will be decided this Tuesday and Wednesday, with expectations pointing towards prominent European clubs.
Additionally, Sunday’s final coincides with the one-year anniversary of an assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania during a Presidential campaign rally. According to NBC News, Trump is anticipated to attend the pivotal match.
On July 13, 2024, Trump’s ear was hit as gunman Thomas Crooks unleashed a hail of bullets from a nearby rooftop following a series of catastrophic failures by the Secret Service.
Trump appeared at the Republican National Convention with a bandage on his ear and fully recovered from the gunshot wound weeks later.
One semifinal sees English heavy hitters Chelsea take on Brazilian upstarts Fluminense, while defending UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain will face Spanish giants Real Madrid on the other side of the bracket.
Donald Trump will reportedly attend Sunday’s FIFA Club World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium
Sunday will be one-year anniversary of when Trump was nearly assassinated in Pennsylvania
The two semifinals will be Chelsea (pictured) against Fluminese and Real Madrid versus PSG
MetLife Stadium will also host the FIFA World Cup Final next year, with Sunday being seen as a dress rehearsal of sorts for the even-bigger global showdown in 2026.
Trump has taken time out from running the country to appear at sports events routinely throughout the first several months of his second term as President.
In February, he attended the Super Bowl in New Orleans, leaving his luxury suite during halftime.
He has attended a few UFC events since winning back the White House, mingling with champions such as Jon Jones and Kayla Harrison.
Trump also attended the NCAA wrestling championships in March with several athletes acknowledging him from his front-row seat.
Three American teams were entered into the 32-team tournament, with only Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami making it to the knockout rounds.
Trump has already rubbed elbows with some of the athletes competing in the tournament, hosting Italian side Juventus in the Oval Office last month.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as well as Americans Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, who are both expected to be on the United States national team for next summer’s World Cup, were among the group visiting the White House.
Juventus visited the White House as part of its United States tour for the Club World Cup
Donald Trump stunned the soccer players in the Oval Office with a dig at trans athletes
It was during the soccer contingent’s visit in the Oval Office where Trump made a dig at transgender athletes, asking those from Juventus if women could make their men’s team.
‘Could a woman make your team fellas? Tell me, you think?’ Trump said to McKennie.
McKennie looked stunned, who deferred an answer to Weah, and then Italian star Manuel Locatelli, who respectfully responded with, ‘Yeah.’
‘You’re being nice,’ Trump responded to Locatelli.
‘What do you think, think a woman could make the team? General managers, what do you think?’ Trump said, turning to some of the Juventus leadership.
‘We have a very good women’s team,’ Juventus general manager Damien Comolli said to Trump.
‘You do have it, but they should be playing with women. It’s one of those things. See, they’re very diplomatic.’
Trump’s opining to professional athletes comes after his bill to ban biological male athletes from competing in women’s sports fell into the senate in May.
