FIFA Club World Cup winner recalls surreal Donald Trump moment

Marc Cucurella has enjoyed significant success since moving from Brighton to Premier League rivals Chelsea in the summer of 2022, both at club and international level. Yet an encounter with U.S. President Donald Trump has been one of his more memorable recent moments.

The former Barcelona youth product played a key role in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph and followed that trophy by lifting the UEFA Conference League with Chelsea. The London club then capped off the season by winning the first edition of the revamped FIFA Club World Cup, held in the United States this summer.

A unique record with Donald Trump

That last title has certainly left a lasting impression on Cucurella, as he revealed in an interview with AS’ Joaquín Maroto ahead of Spain’s upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and Turkey. Thanks to Chelsea’s Club World Cup win, the 27-year-old became the holder of a rather unusual record: he is the only Spanish athlete who has ever been photographed with Trump.

So how did that moment play out, with the then–U.S. president taking center stage on the podium at a stadium in New Jersey?

Trump on the podium

“It was definitely an experience,” he recalled. “He stayed up there on the podium to celebrate the title with us. But at the same time, we had been told we couldn’t start celebrating until he left. And the thing was, Trump wouldn’t leave. He wanted to be right there with us.”

A winner’s’s medal in the White House

“He even walked away with a winner medal,” he added. “I’ve seen that same medal displayed in his office at the White House.”

Cucurella’s Club World Cup triumph will be remembered not only for the trophy itself but also for the unusual podium moment with Donald Trump, a one-of-a-kind experience in the left-back’s career.