Chelsea FC on Sunday shocked the European heroes PSG in the finals with a smashing 3-0 win. Chelsea went on to become the first champion as the FIFA Club World Cup introduced the 32-team edition. In the match, Palmer became an integral player for his brace and assist to Joao Pedro. However, in the post-match celebrations, Palmer appeared confused by the presence of US President Donald Trump, who had joined the Chelsea players on stage. Trump became a main centre of focus at MetLife Stadium on Sunday when he shockingly inserted himself front and centre during the Blues’ trophy lift.
Traditionally, when a team wins, the guests would make their exit soon after the awards and trophies are presented. However, in this case, the president was reluctant to step aside for the team’s celebration. Trump’s on-stage presence left Chelsea players confused, with Palmer visibly unimpressed as he uttered, ‘What is he doing?’ The soccer star later opened up about his confusion. He said, “I knew he was going to be here, but I didn’t know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy,” Palmer said. “I was a bit confused.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea captain Reece James also said, “They told me that he was going to present the trophy and then exit the stage, and I thought that he was going to exit the stage, but he wanted to stay.” He just congratulated me and the team for lifting the trophy and told us to enjoy the moment.” Trump watched the final alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino and said in an interview with DAZN at half-time that he was “having a really great time”.
Palmer also ran into another controversy soon after the match that forced broadcaster DAZN to issue an apology. Having played a decisive role in the Premier League club’s win over the Champions League holders, Palmer did not hold back in his post-match interview, taking aim at critics who had written Chelsea off throughout the season. “Everyone has talked a lot of sh*t about us all season,” he said. This prompted broadcasters to quickly cut away. DAZN later issued an apology to viewers for any offence caused by the outburst.