U.S. President Donald Trump has shared his opinion on football’s greatest-ever player, naming Brazilian legend Pelé as his top choice.
Trump made the remarks while attending the final of the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday. In a dominant display, Chelsea defeated European champions Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final.
Speaking to DAZN after the match, Trump reflected on Pelé’s influence on American soccer, particularly during his time with the New York Cosmos in the now-defunct NASL between 1975 and 1977.
“Many years ago, when I was young, they brought a player named Pelé to play for a team called the Cosmos,” Trump recalled.
“He was the inspiration we had, and this place was packed. It was an earlier version of this stadium, right here in the Meadowlands. And it was Pelé.”
He continued, “I don’t want to date myself, but that was a long time ago. I was a young guy, and I came to watch Pelé, and he was fantastic. It’s like saying Babe Ruth, but I would say Pelé was so great.”
Trump has also signaled his plans to make events like the 2025 Club World Cup and the 2026 FIFA World Cup cornerstones of what he calls a coming “Golden Age of America”, should he win a second term.
The 2026 World Cup final is set to take place at MetLife Stadium and will coincide with the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.
