Step aside, Chelsea. Step aside, Kylian Mbappé. The star of Sunday’s FIFA Club World Cup final turned out to be a 79-year-old man in a navy suit who thought the winners’ podium was a campaign stop.
Donald J. Trump—property mogul, president and self-appointed “very stable genius”—was invited to present winners’ medals. That part was scripted. What followed echoed Salt Bae’s infamous World-Cup photobomb—except this time security couldn’t hustle the interloper out, because in America you can’t grab a sitting president by the elbow and say, “Sir, please move.”
A play-by-play (football not required)
90+1′ Chelsea finish a 3-0 master-class. Trump, in the VIP box, explains to FIFA’s Gianni Infantino that artificial turf is “basically a green rug—very classy.”
FT Trump strides onstage with medal tray, flashes his trademark double-thumbs-up, and plants himself front-and-centre.
+2′ Infantino whispers that it’s time for the official team photo. Trump mishears “step aside” as “step inside” and shuffles half a pace closer.
+3′ Mason Mount now leans around POTUS like a human selfie stick. Photographers mutter; Trump assumes they’re begging him to tweet a Truth Social link.
+7′ Secret-Service agents eye the photographers’ ladders as potential extraction tools. Eventually Reece James hoists the trophy anyway—Trump still fixed in the frame, beaming as though he just closed on a Miami condo tower.
Déjà vu: Salt Bae, meet Trump
| 2022 World Cup Final (Lusail) | 2025 Club World Cup Final (New Jersey) |
|---|---|
| Gate-crasher: Celebrity chef Salt Bae, no credentials, kisses trophy, tugs Messi’s arm. | Gate-crasher-in-chief: President Trump, full credentials, refuses to leave photo-op after medal hand-out. |
| Stewards finally escort him away. | Nobody can “escort” the U.S. president—Secret Service outranks stadium security. |
| Global backlash; FIFA bans Salt Bae from future finals. | Global memes; FIFA googles “portable trapdoor rental” before 2026 World Cup. |
Protocol, but make it political
Proper podium etiquette: present medals, wave, exit stage left.
Trump edition: present medals, wave, annex stage, declare yourself MVP.
Asked later why he lingered, Trump said, “The players begged me to stay; they love me, they really do.” (No player confirmed.)
Will FIFA finally kid-proof the podium?
After Salt Bae, FIFA promised tighter access. Three years later an even bigger ego proved harder to budge—protected by the full weight of Secret Service protocol. With the 2026 World Cup final set for the same venue, organisers may need new rules:
- No salt sprinkling or stump speeches during medal ceremonies.
- Dignitaries issued GPS anklets that buzz after 15 seconds of over-stay.
- A side-stage “Look-At-Me Booth” with presidential seal, gold drapes, and flattering lighting.
Until then, Chelsea’s victory photo will forever feature an extra grin-plastered spectator—living proof that even a billion-dollar trophy can be upstaged when the guest of honour believes every podium is his personal campaign rally.