Overview

• In a DAZN interview during the Club World Cup final, Trump backed Pelé as the greatest footballer ever, overlooking Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
• He assisted FIFA president Gianni Infantino with medal presentations before unexpectedly inserting himself into Chelsea’s post-match trophy lift
• Crowds booed as he posed with referees on the pitch, and two-goal hero Cole Palmer later said he was confused by Trump’s presence on the podium
• The president reminisced about packed Meadowlands crowds when Pelé played for the New York Cosmos in the mid-1970s
• The episode has reignited debate over presidential involvement in major sports ceremonies and the enduring Pelé-Messi-Ronaldo GOAT discourse