President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania looked like they were enjoying themselves as they took in the FIFA Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday afternoon, July 13. The couple traveled from Trump’s Bedminster golf club to East Rutherford for the big match, making a grand entrance with a convoy of three helicopters flying overhead before kickoff.
Sitting in a luxury box alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Trump seemed genuinely impressed by the spectacle. According to professional lip reader Nicola Hickling, who decoded their conversation for the Irish Star, Trump was all smiles. “Wow, you can see each team. It looks so good. Fantastic,” he reportedly said, before adding, “Good job. Wow. It’s so freaking magical.”
Hickling also claimed that Trump turned to Melania and asked, “Sweetie, do you think it could’ve been any better?” He then told her and the others around him, “I get such a rush just from being among it all,” and encouraged everyone to “look at it all,” saying again, “It looks amazing.” Hickling said Melania agreed with her husband and responded that yes, it did look amazing.
But despite the personal excitement and fanfare around his arrival, the crowd’s reaction was a mixed bag. As the jumbotron showed Trump saluting from his box during the National Anthem, a clip shared by USA Today captured a wave of loud boos echoing through the stadium. The screen quickly cut away, but chants of “USA, USA!” followed after ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ ended.
It wasn’t the only moment Trump got heckled. Later, as he joined Infantino on the field to award the trophy to Chelsea after their surprise 3-0 victory over European champions PSG, the boos returned. Infantino quickly stepped aside after handing over the award, but Trump lingered in the spotlight, standing front and center as Chelsea captain Reece James lifted the trophy and his teammates celebrated.
Still, the former president kept things upbeat. Speaking to DAZN in a post-match interview, Trump praised the tournament. “It’s a big thing, Gianni’s a friend of mine. But it’s great to watch. This is a little bit of an upset we’re watching today,” he said. “FIFA has done fantastically well. It’s a growing sport. It’s a great sport.”
And in true Trump fashion, he couldn’t resist cracking a joke. At one point during the final, he suggested signing an executive order to make Americans call soccer “football” like the rest of the world. “I think we could do that,” he said, grinning.
Trump also said he was happy to see the sport growing in the U.S. and hoped the national team would rise in the rankings soon. For a guy who got booed on live television not once, but twice, he didn’t seem too fazed. He came to watch the match, made his presence known, and still managed to turn it into a headline-grabbing moment.