Trump’s planned appearance signals more than casual fandom. It’s a strategic moment in his broader effort to link his second-term narrative to America’s hosting of marquee global sporting events—including next year’s FIFA World Cup final in the same venue and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Trump has been open about viewing these tournaments as emblematic of what he calls the “Golden Age of America,” using them to project strength, prestige, and unity on the world stage—even as his own brand of politics remains deeply divisive at home and abroad.
The former president’s relationship with FIFA is also strikingly personal. He counts FIFA president Gianni Infantino among his regular guests—Infantino has visited Trump both during and after his presidency, with one notable visit in March seeing Trump pose in the Oval Office with the Club World Cup trophy proudly displayed on his desk.
Trump’s interest in football—soccer, as he would call it—might appear incongruous in a country where the sport remains secondary to American football, basketball, and baseball. Yet Infantino insists the connection is genuine, albeit partly familial.
At a press event in New York on Saturday, Infantino revealed that Trump’s youngest son, 19-year-old Barron, is an avid fan.
“He explained to me that his son loved football, and that he loved the game. And of course when you are a parent, you love what your children love,” Infantino said. He even recalled that the White House lawn once sported a soccer goal during Trump’s first term.
Trump himself reportedly played soccer for a season as a student at the New York Military Academy, adding a thin thread of personal history to his embrace of the sport.
But beyond personal interests, there’s a clear political calculus. Trump has repeatedly touted his role in helping secure the 2026 World Cup hosting rights for the United States (in partnership with Mexico and Canada), which FIFA awarded during his first term in 2018.
At the time, Trump acknowledged he would likely be out of office by the tournament, telling Infantino during a White House visit this year he was “so sad” to think he’d miss it—until his 2020 defeat unexpectedly made him eligible to be back in 2026.
This Club World Cup final in New Jersey is therefore more than just a game. For Trump, it’s a rehearsal—a high-profile stage on which to connect with voters, showcase American readiness to host the world, and burnish his credentials as a global dealmaker.
Meanwhile, FIFA is eager to make the most of the relationship. Infantino has publicly thanked Trump for his early support of both the 2026 World Cup bid and this expanded Club World Cup tournament, which has exceeded expectations with an estimated 2.5 million spectators attending matches across the U.S.
“He embraced immediately the importance of the FIFA Club World Cup, and of course of the World Cup next year,” Infantino said, praising Trump’s role in backing the event.
But the marriage of football and politics is not without controversy. Trump’s polarising rhetoric has often bled into these soft-power moments. When Italian champions Juventus visited the Oval Office in June, Trump used the opportunity to launch into an off-topic diatribe on transgender athletes before asking the players: “Could a woman make your team, fellas?”
His hardline immigration policies have also raised concerns about whether fans from around the world will feel welcome during the World Cup. In May, Trump’s running mate and Vice President JD Vance sought to strike a balancing act, telling reporters that visiting fans would be “welcome to come… but when the time is up they will have to go home.”
These tensions underline the complicated symbolism of Trump’s appearance at the Club World Cup final. On the one hand, it’s a celebration of the world’s most popular sport on U.S. soil, with Trump keen to claim credit for helping bring it here. On the other, it’s a reminder that even the “beautiful game” can become a stage for political messaging—and, in Trump’s case, for both charm offensives and cultural flashpoints.
As Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea battle for the trophy in front of tens of thousands in New Jersey, all eyes will be on the pitch. But for Trump, the real goal is arguably off it: projecting leadership, courting voters, and laying the groundwork for what he hopes will be a political—and sporting—victory lap in 2026.