United States President Donald Trump has waded into the age-old debate over the greatest football player of all time, declaring Pelé as his greatest.
Trump made the declaration on Sunday at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where he attended the final of the first expanded FIFA Club World Cup.
LEADERSHIP reports that Chelsea dominated Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) 3–0 to lift the trophy, after a commanding first-half performance on Sunday.
Speaking during a post-match DAZN interview, Trump fondly recalled seeing Pelé play live for the New York Cosmos in the 1970s, describing the Brazilian icon as an enduring inspiration.
“Many years ago, when I was young, they brought a player named Pelé to play, and he played for a team called the Cosmos,” Trump said. “He was the inspiration we had, and this place was packed. It was an earlier version of this stadium, but 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. That’s like saying Babe Ruth, but I would say Pelé was so great.”
Trump also hinted at his broader vision of leveraging football’s global appeal to project American pride and leadership.
He openly expressed plans to use this year’s Club World Cup and the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S. as symbols of what he calls a “Golden Age of America” during a potential second term.
The 2026 tournament will mark a historic milestone, with its final set to be played at MetLife Stadium, the same venue where Trump praised Pelé, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.
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