Did FIFA Really Give Donald Trump the Club World Cup Trophy “Forever”?

Short answer: FIFA’s own rules say the golden cup stays with FIFA, so Donald Trump’s boast is unconfirmed at best and contradicted at worst. But the tale of how a brand-new trophy ended up in the Oval Office — and maybe in Trump Tower — is stranger than fiction.

A Trophy, an Oval Office and a Very Public Boast

On Sunday night, moments before Chelsea thrashed Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the Club World Cup final at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, Donald Trump sat down with sports streamer DAZN. Smiling into the camera, he dropped the line that lit up social media:

“We’re never going to pick it up. You can have it forever in the Oval Office. We’re making a new one.”

According to the former president, those words came straight from FIFA officials. Clip after clip confirms he actually said it. The question is whether it’s even possible.

What We Know for Sure

Verified facts (multiple sources):

• Trophy unveiling in the Oval Office – FIFA president Gianni Infantino did present the newly designed Club World Cup trophy to Trump on 7 March 2025. (White House transcript)
• Chelsea’s 3-0 victory over PSG in the final is official. (Sky Sports)
• Awkward podium moment – Trump walked onto the stage, was booed and lingered among Chelsea players until ushered aside. (Time)
• FIFA has opened a satellite office in Trump Tower, complete with a public display of the cup. (FIFA release)

The Big Contradiction: FIFA’s Own Trophy Policy

Flip back to November 2024. FIFA proudly announced that there would be:

1. One perpetual “original” trophy owned by FIFA.
2. Identical replicas handed to each winning club.

No second perpetual trophy. No “keep it forever.” (FIFA media release)

Since Trump’s DAZN interview, FIFA has remained publicly silent. No update, no denial, no confirmation that a fresh perpetual cup is being forged in Zurich. Silence is not consent, but it isn’t a rebuttal either — leaving a vacuum into which Trump’s claim has roared.

The Missing Instagram Photo

The original article tried to show Trump’s story was nonsense by citing a Chelsea Instagram picture of airplane pilots holding “the” trophy on the flight home. We dug for it:

• Searched Chelsea’s official feed and Stories
• Cross-checked image libraries and press outlets

Result: No such photo. Until it surfaces with a verifiable timestamp, treat that detail as unverified.

A Day in July: Re-Creating the Timeline

1. 7 March 2025 – Infantino presents the cup in the Oval Office for a publicity blitz. Trump poses, gives trademark thumbs-up.
2. 13 July 2025, afternoon – Chelsea beat PSG 3-0; Trump attends, is booed, hovers on podium.
3. 13 July 2025, evening – DAZN interview airs; Trump claims FIFA is “making a new one,” original cup now his.
4. 15 July 2025 – FIFA opens office in Trump Tower; the trophy, or a replica, is placed on public display in the lobby.
5. 16 July 2025 – FIFA still hasn’t clarified whether that gleaming cup is the original, a replica, or a PR prop.

The ambiguity allows two competing storylines to bloom:

• Trump’s version: The Oval Office now doubles as a trophy cabinet.
• FIFA’s published rulebook: The cup never leaves FIFA’s ownership.

Both can’t be true.

Why the Story Matters

• Symbolism: The Club World Cup trophy, barely four months old, already risks becoming a political souvenir.
• Transparency: If FIFA has quietly changed its policy, why won’t it say so? If it hasn’t, why allow the confusion?
• Precedent: Past World Cup trophies (men’s and women’s) never left FIFA’s hands permanently; winners get replicas.

What’s Still Unclear

• Location, location, location – Is the cup in the Oval Office, Trump Tower, or a Zurich vault?
• Replica vs. original – No one outside FIFA’s inner circle can yet distinguish between the two on sight.
• Official comment – FIFA’s communications department has not replied to repeated requests for clarification.

Until that happens, the “forever” promise lives only in Trump’s anecdote.

The Bottom Line

Trump absolutely said it. FIFA absolutely hasn’t endorsed it.
Every public document we have contradicts the idea that a sitting or former president can simply pocket football’s newest global trophy. Until FIFA provides a straight answer — or publishes a photo of a second, identical perpetual cup — the safest position is skepticism.

How We Checked

1. Pulled the DAZN clip and compared quotes across The Independent and City A.M.
2. Verified Oval Office visit via White House transcript and still images.
3. Cross-referenced FIFA trophy policy with November 2024 media release.
4. Searched Chelsea’s entire Instagram timeline through 16 July 2025.
5. Contacted FIFA’s press office (no reply yet) and Chelsea’s comms team (no comment).

We’ll update this story if new evidence — or a second trophy — emerges.

In short: The next time you see a shiny gold-and-blue cup glinting behind Donald Trump’s Resolute desk, remember: trophies, like stories, sometimes have replicas.