Trump Draws Criticism for Participating in the Ceremony After Presenting the Trophy
Original Championship Trophy Kept in the Oval Office of the White House
Winning Team Chelsea Takes Home a Newly Made Trophy
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup concluded with Chelsea, the English professional football team, claiming the championship. However, controversy arose at Chelsea's victory award ceremony when US President Donald Trump drew criticism for occupying the central seat of the ceremony without yielding it to the winning team, who were the main protagonists. Now, further controversy has emerged regarding the championship trophy itself. The genuine golden trophy, which reportedly cost 300 million KRW to produce, is expected to be kept not by Chelsea, but in the Oval Office of President Trump's White House.
On the 15th, Yonhap News, citing foreign media such as the British daily The Guardian, reported that at the Club World Cup final held the previous day at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Chelsea, who defeated Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) of France to win the championship, received only a 'replica' of the trophy. President Trump claimed that the trophy received by Chelsea, the English professional football team that defeated PSG to win the Club World Cup final the previous day, was a 'copy'.
Previously, FIFA President Gianni Infantino had revealed the Club World Cup trophy during his visit to the White House in March. Since then, the trophy has been kept in the Oval Office. Regarding the trophy stored in the Oval Office, President Trump said, "(FIFA) asked if I could keep the trophy for a while, so I put it in the Oval Office. When I asked when I should return the trophy, they said, 'You don't have to. You can keep it in the Oval Office forever. We will make a new one.'" He added, "A new trophy was actually made. It's really exciting. The original trophy is still in the Oval Office now."
If President Trump's words are to be believed, there are now two Club World Cup trophies: one kept at the White House and one awarded to Chelsea. The Daily Beast, reporting on President Trump's remarks, interpreted that the President kept the 'original', while a newly made replica trophy was awarded to Chelsea. It is not known whether the two trophies are completely identical or if there are any differences between them.
At Chelsea's championship award ceremony, President Trump drew criticism for occupying the central seat of the ceremony without yielding to the winning team, who were the main protagonists. Photo by AFP and Yonhap News
The trophy was jointly produced by FIFA and Tiffany & Co. The production cost is reported to be around $230,000 (approximately 300 million KRW). The gold-plated trophy is engraved with the names of all 211 FIFA member countries. There is also space reserved to engrave the emblems of the winning teams for the next 24 tournaments. President Infantino is said to be closely aligning himself with President Trump to maintain smooth relations with the United States, one of the co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Next year's FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
President Infantino has visited Washington, D.C. ten times since the launch of President Trump's second administration. The Daily Beast also reported that FIFA's New York office was recently relocated to Trump Tower in Manhattan, which is owned by President Trump. Immediately after the Club World Cup final, there was also controversy when President Infantino was seen handing one of the medals, which he was supposed to place around the necks of each member of the winning team, to President Trump instead.
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