Fact Check: Did Trump steal a medal from players during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup ceremony?

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY: In the aftermath of Chelsea FC's triumph over Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final on July 13, a curious moment involving the US President Donald Trump stole the spotlight. 

As Trump participated in the medal ceremony, video clips began circulating on platforms like X and TikTok, appearing to show him slipping one of the gold medals into his pocket. The footage quickly sparked a wave of online speculation and humor, with some users accusing Trump of “stealing” the medal

Claim: Donald Trump stole a medal during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

Donald Trump took center stage during the gold medal and trophy presentation following the final match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. 

Following Chelsea’s 3-0 win, Trump joined FIFA President Gianni Infantino on stage to help distribute medals to the players. However, after all the medals had seemingly been awarded, the 79-year-old president was still seen holding one in his hand.

In a subtle moment captured on video, Trump appeared to glance at Infantino before quietly tucking the remaining medal into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

A video of Trump slipping a medal into his pocket quickly went viral. It was accompanied by the caption, "The Art of the Steal – Donald Trump stole a CWC winners medal yesterday." 

The footage sparked widespread speculation across platforms like X and TikTok, with some users claiming Trump had withheld the medal from Chelsea captain Reece James and kept it for himself. 

However, a full-length YouTube video of the ceremony shows Trump placing a medal on James around the 12-minute mark, just moments before FIFA President Gianni Infantino handed him the medal that he was later seen pocketing.

Some users who watched the video claimed that Trump had taken the medal for himself. One user exclaimed, "Wow, look at that!!  The president of the US stealing the CWC team’s medal, omg."

One user ordered the president, "Give it back."

False, no evidence shows Trump stole a medal during the event

While viral footage led some to believe that Donald Trump had stolen a medal during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup trophy ceremony, others called for clarification on whether he had pocketed one. Trump was indeed seen placing a gold medal into his suit pocket during the event. However, several online posts misrepresented the context of the moment.

Some users claimed that Trump withheld the medal from Chelsea captain Reece James and kept it for himself, a false claim. In the full recording of the ceremony available on YouTube, Trump can be seen placing a medal around James’s neck at approximately the 12-minute mark, just before FIFA President Gianni Infantino handed him the medal he ultimately pocketed.

In short, while Trump did indeed pocket a medal handed to him during the ceremony, there is no indication that it was taken without FIFA’s consent or stolen from a player. The viral narrative appears to be the result of online users blending this incident with unrelated events involving Trump, FIFA, and the Club World Cup trophy.

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.