Yes—Donald Trump really is keeping the real Club-World-Cup trophy.
But the story behind that polite “trophy heist” is far stranger—and sparklier—than first reported.
The Oval-Office Souvenir Nobody Came Back For
On 8 March 2025, FIFA president Gianni Infantino walked into the White House with a brand-new, 6.2-kilogram, 24-karat-gold-plated trophy. Cameras rolled, hands shook, and Donald Trump—never one to miss a headline—leaned over the polished silver-gilt surface and asked:
“So…can I keep it?”
According to both Infantino and a later DAZN interview, the stunned FIFA chief blurted out:
“Sure—keep it forever. We’ll make another one.”
Infantino kept his word. Chelsea, winners of the inaugural expanded Club World Cup, will raise a factory-fresh duplicate while the original sits under the glare of the Oval Office chandeliers.
Verified
✓ Guardian report, 14 July 2025
✓ DAZN interview transcript, 12 July 2025
The One Big Error: It’s Not Aluminium
The German tabloid piece that broke the “Trump won’t give it back” scoop got one detail badly wrong: the metals.
Claim in original article:
“Die Aluminium-Trophäe ist mit 24 Karat Gold überzogen.”
Reality:
• FIFA & ESPN list the core as sterling silver (with a few mixed-metal accents), finished in 24-karat gold-vermeil—no aluminium anywhere.
• Tiffany & Co., the trophy’s maker, confirmed the same specs in a press release.
So the president didn’t just commandeer a gilded soda can; he’s babysitting a precious-metal sculpture worth well into six figures.
A Trophy, a Mix-Up, and a Bit of Presidential Wishful Thinking
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March 2025 – The Reveal
Infantino unveils the club-tournament silverware in the Oval Office. Trump thinks it’s the men’s World Cup.
Source: Independent -
July 2025 – The Confession
During a DAZN promo spot, Trump casually drops the bombshell: Chelsea’s getting a copy. “The original’s staying right here,” he beams, gesturing at the Resolute Desk.
Source: Guardian -
Online Uproar
Chelsea fans cry foul, meme-makers go wild, but FIFA shrugs: “We said he could.” -
Fine Print Emerges
Tiffany states each trophy takes 90 days to craft. A second edition is already halfway down the production line. Crisis averted—sort of.
What Makes This Trophy So Unique?
• 211 Engraved Names: Every FIFA member association appears.
• 13 Languages + Braille: “Football unites the world” wraps the stem in a spiral of scripts.
• Easter-Egg Design Motifs:
– world maps of historic voyages
– constellations honouring “the global game”
– chemical symbols for silver (Ag) and gold (Au) ringing the base
– stylised images of early leather footballs on the central disk
(All details confirmed by FIFA press release and ESPN feature.)
Broadcasting Boast—Mostly True
The original article bragged: “Alle Spiele … live und kostenlos nur bei DAZN.”
• True: DAZN secured free worldwide streaming rights.
• Not-so-true: TNT and Univision simulcast several matches in the U.S.
Net result: fans could watch every game free on DAZN, but it wasn’t the only place.
Why FIFA Doesn’t Seem Bothered
FIFA insiders told the Guardian the Oval Office display is “priceless publicity.” In 2026, when the men’s World Cup lands in the USA-Mexico-Canada tri-host, promotional value matters more than protocol. Letting Trump show off the trophy means free airtime across U.S. news cycles—and a cheeky reminder that the next mega-tournament is coming home (or at least close).
The Open Questions
? Did Infantino really have authority to gift the original? FIFA’s statutes are silent, and the organisation hasn’t released paperwork.
? What happens if a new U.S. president doesn’t want a football relic on the desk? No guidance yet.
? Could this set a precedent for future “souvenir” diplomacy? Sports lawyers say probably not—but nobody expected this twist either.
We’ll keep pressing FIFA for the documentation—and the Secret Service for a peek at the next Oval-Office shelf shuffle.
Bottom Line
• Yes, Trump is hanging onto the genuine Club-World-Cup trophy.
• No, Chelsea aren’t short-changed—they’ll lift an identical twin.
• And no, the cup isn’t cheap aluminium—it’s sterling silver bathed in 24-karat gold, now glowing under the Resolute Desk lamp.
History may remember goals, tactics and titles. But in 2025, the biggest Club-World-Cup storyline was a presidential “souvenir” that never made its flight back across the Atlantic.