US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended the FIFA Club World Cup final in MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday. The couple was given a preview of the grander football tournament that the United States will host next year.
Trump and Melania travelled from the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster to watch the FIFA Club World Cup final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
English Premier League club, Chelsea lifted the trophy at the end of the month-long competition, which featured 32 teams. Midfielder Cole Palmer scored twice and assisted on another with forward Joao Pedro scoring the third goal as the Blues defeated the European champions PSG, the favourites, 3-0 in the game.Â
Not to be confused with the FIFA World Cup, the world’s top soccer competition involving national teams, the FIFA Club World Cup is a worldwide championship between club teams.
As they sat down to watch the big game, the president and first lady were spotted waving to the audience.
The men’s 2016 FIFA World Cup final will also take place at MetLife Stadium, which will host the prestigious game for the first time in the US since 1994.
The 250th anniversary of the nation’s foundation will be celebrated in 2026.
Other than watching the FIFA Club World Cup final, Trump had no other significant events scheduled for Sunday.
Trump’s appearance at the FIFA Club World Cup final comes on the one-year anniversary of his near-fatal encounter with death in Butler, Pennsylvania, where person tried to assassinate him and his bullet just missed killing the president.
Though Trump did sit for an interview with his daughter-in-law, Lara, which aired on Fox News Saturday night, in which he discussed the assassination attempt, the president had no plans to commemorate that tragic date.
“Well, it was unforgettable. I didn’t know exactly what was going on. I got whacked. There’s no question about that,” Trump said during his interview on Fox News’ “My View with Lara Trump.”
“And fortunately, I got down quickly. People were screaming, and I got down quickly, fortunately, because I think they shot eight bullets,” he added.
The president has attended high-profile sporting events like Super Bowl LIX and UFC fights during his second term, but Sunday was his first time this year attending a major FIFA game.
Trump has long been an avid sports fan, and because of his cordial relationship with Dana White, the CEO of the UFC, he has increased his attendance at key competitions throughout his second term.
As part of the celebrations to mark America’s 250th birthday, Trump announced earlier this month that he will host a UFC fight at the White House within the next year.
He is the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl in February. Newsweek reported that so far in his second term, Trump’s public domestic travel has primarily come from sports outings.
The US will host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, in addition to hosting the FIFA World Cup next year.