Premier League club Chelsea beat Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 on Sunday in the final of the first expanded Club World Cup before a “tournament-high crowd of 81,188″ at MetLife Stadium that included U.S. President Trump. The president “was booed when he walked on the field for the postgame awards,” then “posed with Chelsea players” after he and FIFA President Gianni Infantino handed the trophy to Chelsea D Reece James. Chelsea F Cole Palmer scored twice and assisted on a goal by F João Pedro (AP, 7/13). Palmer said he knew Trump was “going to be here,” but he didn’t know Trump was “going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy, so I was a bit confused” (AP, 7/14). James “seemed reluctant to lift” the trophy with Trump on stage, and footage “appeared to show him asking ‘Are you going to leave?’” (London TELEGRAPH, 7/13).
There was a “significant security presence” around the stadium before the final, with “hundreds of officers across multiple law enforcement agencies and stadium security personnel” greeting fans as they entered. Among the agencies present were the Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration, New Jersey State Police and K-9 units with bomb-sniffing dogs. One women said it took “two seconds” to enter. Other fans said that it “took about 5-10 minutes to get past security” (USA TODAY, 7/13). Among those in attendance were Trump, Infantino, First Lady Melania Trump, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr., Trump’s son-in-law Michael Boulos, Trump ally Boris Epshteyn, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, Jets owner Woody Johnson, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, former NFLer Tom Brady, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi, Qatari royal family member Sheikh Hamad Khalifa Al Thani, Power International Holding Chair Moutaz Al-Khayyat and President Ramez Al-Khayyat, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Clearlake Capital managing partner Behdad Eghbali and Chelsea Chair Todd Boehly (THE ATHLETIC, 7/13). In Trump’s box were Bondi, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Brady, News Corp. founder Rupert Murdoch and Infantino ("POLITICO Playbook", 7/14).
FIFA “went to great pains to make Sunday’s final a spectacle.” Musicians Robbie Williams and Laura Pausini performed in a pregame ceremony and emcee Michael Buffer held a “countdown to kickoff.” Coldplay, J Balvin and Doja Cat performed the halftime show (WASHINGTON POST, 7/13).
PSG manager Luis Enrique “took a swipe at” Pedro during a “postgame altercation, striking him near his neck and chin.” Enrique had approached Pedro before the altercation as Pedro was “having a discussion” with PSG GK Gianluigi Donnarumma. Enrique said his intention was “to avoid things getting worse” (USA TODAY, 7/13).
