President Donald Trump will reportedly attend Sunday’s FIFA Club World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey with neither of the combatants confirmed to be American teams.
The teams playing in the first global soccer final on US soil since the 2003 Women’s World Cup will be determined on Tuesday and Wednesday, with a heavy dose of European powerhouses expected.
Sunday’s final will also mark the one-year anniversary of when Trump was nearly assassinated in Butler, Pennsylvania during a Presidential campaign rally, with Trump expected to take in the critical match, per NBC News.
On July 13, 2024, Trump’s ear was hit as gunman Thomas Crooks unleashed a hail of bullets from a nearby rooftop following a series of catastrophic failures by the Secret Service.
Trump appeared at the Republican National Convention with a bandage on his ear and fully recovered from the gunshot wound weeks later.
One semifinal sees English heavy hitters Chelsea take on Brazilian upstarts Fluminense, while defending UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain will face Spanish giants Real Madrid on the other side of the bracket.
MetLife Stadium will also host the FIFA World Cup Final next year, with Sunday being seen as a dress rehearsal of sorts for the even-bigger global showdown in 2026.
Trump has taken time out from running the country to appear at sports events routinely throughout the first several months of his second term as President.
In February, he attended the Super Bowl in New Orleans, leaving his luxury suite during halftime.
He has attended a few UFC events since winning back the White House, mingling with champions such as Jon Jones and Kayla Harrison.
Trump also attended the NCAA wrestling championships in March with several athletes acknowledging him from his front-row seat.
Three American teams were entered into the 32-team tournament, with only Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami making it to the knockout rounds.
Trump has already rubbed elbows with some of the athletes competing in the tournament, hosting Italian side Juventus in the Oval Office last month.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as well as Americans Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, who are both expected to be on the United States national team for next summer’s World Cup, were among the group visiting the White House.
