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President Trump has the FIFA World Cup trophy in the Oval Office. Or does he?

By Melanie Anzidei

2h ago

Since taking office, a recurring image of President Donald Trump seated at his desk inside the Oval Office has flooded American television screens. With each new executive order signed comes another image of Trump with a black permanent marker in hand.

It didn’t take long for eagle-eyed viewers to notice the shiny object behind him: a replica of the World Cup trophy. He is expected to hand the real thing to the tournament’s winner next summer.

It’s no secret Trump is an ardent supporter of FIFA, soccer’s world governing body. Trump is considered a close friend of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, whose fervor for him has been in the public eye since Trump won the United States presidential election in November. Infantino was one of the first to congratulate Trump on social media.

However, that closeness does not extend to the original trophy finding an unexpected new home, with a FIFA spokesman confirming that what rests in Trump’s office is not the real World Cup.

Zoomed-in images of the trophy have popped up on social media, restarting a conversation that began during Trump’s first term, when the trophy first appeared behind him among his other prized possessions, like photos of his parents. Displaying the hardware inside his office is not new and it shouldn’t come as a surprise, either.

On the day of Trump’s inauguration, FIFA issued a press release mentioning how Infantino “thanked” the billionaire for referencing FIFA and Infantino “by name” during a victory rally the night before. The two have “a great friendship,” Infantino has said.

FIFA’s statement linked to Infantino’s Instagram account, which showed one image of Trump and Infantino smiling side-by-side with their thumbs up, as well as other releases tied to Trump over the years.

Infantino wrote on Instagram how he was “honoured” to meet Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida before his inauguration. Days later, Infantino was among Trump’s invitees at the U.S. Capitol, sandwiched between the families of billionaires as Trump was sworn in as the country’s 47th president.

It’s unclear whether the replica trophy seen inside the Oval Office this week and still on display on Tuesday is the same one that surfaced on social media in 2018. In photos, the current trophy seems larger than the one seen there years prior. It is also unclear if the trophy was a gift, or if Trump acquired it on his own. FIFA declined to comment further on Tuesday.

Some have speculated the trophy is a subtle message for those watching — a reminder that the world’s largest sporting event is coming to the U.S. next year. While the tournament is being co-hosted with Canada and Mexico, the U.S. will host a majority of the tournament’s 104 games. Eleven of the 16 host cities are in the U.S.

Trump’s replica trophy resurfaced online just as trade wars between the co-hosts began. Over the weekend, Trump had directed 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, with another 10 percent tariff on Canadian oil, natural, gas and electricity. But he agreed to a 30-day pause on the tariffs after meeting with leaders from both nations.

Though Trump’s ties to FIFA seem more pronounced these days, his relationship with Infantino has existed for years. Trump played a pivotal role in support of the United States’ World Cup bid for 2026, even writing convincing letters to Infantino directly. Trump’s family, particularly Jared Kushner, also played a key role last year in securing the tournament’s final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

It remains to be seen how the trade wars between the U.S., Mexico and Canada, or how Trump’s immigration policies, will affect the 2026 World Cup. So far, FIFA has not publicly commented on the political issues between the 2026 co-hosts.

It’s certainly a unique position for FIFA to be in. The World Cup had more than one host only once before when Japan and South Korea shared duties in 2002. The 2030 World Cup will be hosted across six nations, from three continents.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6114223/2025/02/05/fifa-trump-world-cup-trophy/