July 14 – US president Donald Trump was booed during the opening ceremony of the Club World Cup at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and again at the end when he joined the presentation party.
When the crowd reacted to his image appearing on big screens during the US national anthem, organisers reacted to their booing by turning up the volume of the music.
Trump was part of the with FIFA presentation party with president Gianni Infantino who has built a relationship with the US president that has transcended bringing a football event to his country to being a political tool and endorsement of Trump’s regime.
Trump and Infantino jointly carried the Club World Cup trophy to the Chelsea team on the stage and Trump then remained on stage and was front and centre for Chelsea’s trophy lift.
In between the booing of Trump a match was played between Chelsea and PSG in front of an 81,000 crowd in 85F heat.
Chelsea ran out winners and £90 million richer after Cole Palmer tore apart European champions Paris St-Germain whose youthful team have played perhaps the longest season on record.
Palmer scored twice and set up a third goal for new signing Joao Pedro.
In the 22nd minute he shot low past PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma after Malo Gusto ran in behind Nuno Mendes. Eight minutes later he scored a second with a neat dummy and identical shot from the edge of the box.
Just before half time he turned provider, finding new signing Joao Pedro to lob Donnarumma.
The game and the tournament were effectively – and perhaps thankfully – over.
Of more interest was the post match debacle when PSG manager Luis Enrique looked to have slapped Chelsea forward Joao Pedro. PSG player Presnel Kimpembe having to pull away his coach.
Enrique later said he was trying to separate fighting players “to avoid a situation getting worse”.
Arguably Trump’s hijacking of the people’s game for his own political profile is worse.
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