Trump names his greatest footballer of all time at Club World Cup Final
United States President Donald Trump has joined the conversation on who deserves the title of the greatest footballer of all time.
Trump attended the FIFA Club World Cup final on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where Chelsea delivered a dominant performance, defeating Paris Saint-Germain 3-0.
Speaking during a DAZN broadcast after the match, Trump named Pelé as his all-time favourite footballer. He fondly recalled the Brazilian legend’s impact on American soccer, particularly his time with the New York Cosmos in the now-defunct NASL from 1975 until his retirement in 1977.
He said, “Many years ago, when I was young, they brought a player named Pele to play, and he played for a team called the Cosmos.
“He was the inspiration we had, and this place was packed. It was an earlier version of this stadium, but right here in the Meadowlands, and it was Pele.
“I don’t want to date myself, but that was a long time ago. I was a young guy, and I came to watch Pele, and he was fantastic. And I would, I’d say, probably go old-fashioned. That’s like saying Babe Ruth, but I would say Pele was so great.”
Trump has openly expressed his intention to use this year’s Club World Cup and the 2026 FIFA World Cup as symbols of a “Golden Age of America” during what he envisions as his second term in office.
The 2026 World Cup, with its final set to take place at the same stadium, will align with the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.