U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino carry the FIFA Club World Cup trophy on stage before presenting it to Chelsea FC at MetLife Stadium on July 13, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This is the first time the U.S. has hosted the the FIFA CWC competition, one year before the U.S., Mexico and Canada are scheduled to host the World Cup in 2026.
Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images News | Getty Images
The U.S. has long referred to European football as “soccer” — but President Donald Trump signaled this week that he could officially change the practice.
Speaking to DAZN TV channel, Trump was asked about the possibility of an executive order to rename the sport.
“I think we can do that, I think I could do that,” Trump laughed as he spoke to the global sports streamer in an interview published Monday.
“They call it ‘football,’ but I guess we call it ‘soccer,’ but that change could be made very easily. But it’s great to watch,” he said, as he was interviewed during the final of the FIFA Club World Cup, which was held in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
While the term “football” is widely used for the sport, especially in Europe and much of the world, the U.S., Canada and Australia generally use “soccer” to refer to the game.
It remains to be seen how serious Trump is about making the name change, but he certainly appears to have caught the bug for what the British call “the Beautiful Game.” CNBC has reached out to the White House for further comment and is awaiting a response.
Trump, who was present for the FIFA Club World Cup final match, appeared alongside winners Chelsea — much to the bemusement of players — as they lifted the competition trophy.
U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as Chelsea Captain Reece James and team celebrate with the trophy after winning the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium on July 13, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Joao Bravo | Sports Press Photo | Getty Images
The newly expanded soccer — or football — tournament was launched this year and saw top-flight teams from around the world compete in matches held across 12 venues in the U.S. in the last month. British club Chelsea stunned their French counterparts, Paris St. Germain (PSG), clinching a 3-0 win on Sunday.
Trump unexpectedly appeared on the stage with the Chelsea players as they lifted the trophy. There are vast amounts of money to be made in football — the tournament win has netted Chelsea around £84 million (almost $113 million), according to the BBC, for their participation and performance.
When the Chelsea players were asked about Trump “crashing” the trophy presentation, Chelsea Captain Reece James commented, “To be honest it was quite loud. I couldn’t hear too much. He just congratulated me and the team for lifting the trophy and told us to enjoy the moment.”
His team mate Cole Palmer, who was instrumental in all three goals netted by the team, looked visibly confused at the time.
Cole Palmer #10 of Chelsea FC collects his Gold Medal from U.S. President Donald Trump following the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium on July 13, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Darren Walsh | Chelsea Fc | Getty Images
The “America First” president, known for his protectionist stance, told DAZN that the sport had a unifying quality, and was about “love” between countries.
“The game is about unity, it is about everyone getting together,” he told the network.
“It is about a lot of love between different international countries,” he added, saying hat “this is the most international sport on the planet, so it can really bring the world together.”
The U.S. won’t be able to escape the footballing mania next year, when it’s set to host the World Cup, along with Mexico and Canada.
