Former Colombian President Iván Duque attended the final of the first expanded FIFA Club World Cup on Sunday, where he met with US President Donald Trump in the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Also in the audience were FIFA President Gianni Infantino and US First Lady Melania Trump.
The sporting event, which pitted Chelsea of England against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) of France, also served as a framework to reaffirm political ties.
Through his social media, Duque described the dialogue with Trump as a meeting with"a great friend of Colombia" and highlighted the support he received during his term on issues such as the fight against drug trafficking, the COVID-19 pandemic, the migration crisis, and the promotion of bilateral trade.
It was a pleasure to be at the final of the @FIFAcom Club World Cup and to be able to talk with @realDonaldTrump, a great friend of Colombia who, during our government, supported us in the fight against narcoterrorism, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the crisis... — Iván Duque 🇨🇴 (@IvanDuque) July 13, 2025
A stage with global projection
The tournament final was held at MetLife Stadium, which will also host the decisive match of the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States along with Mexico and Canada.
The current tournament brought together 32 clubs from different regions in its new, expanded version, marking the first time it has been played on American soil.
Before the match, Infantino and Trump met at Trump Tower in New York, where the FIFA president inaugurated a Club World Cup exhibition alongside former Brazilian footballer Ronaldo Nazario and Eric Trump, son of the Republican leader.
At that event, it was announced that the new FIFA headquarters in New York will be located in that same building, joining the existing headquarters in Miami and Toronto.
Institutional support for FIFA
During the event, Infantino highlighted the U.S. government's collaboration in organizing next year's Club World Cup and World Cup for national teams.
“ We received great support from the president and the White House task force,” said the leader, who stressed the importance of FIFA maintaining a presence in key cities like New York to consolidate its global reach.
The presence of political figures at the final reflected the diplomatic and strategic dimension of international football, especially in the context of global events such as the Club and National Team World Cups.
