Former U.S. President Donald Trump has declared Brazilian legend Pelé as the greatest footballer of all time, weighing in on the long-running debate following the Club World Cup final on Sunday.
Trump attended the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where Chelsea cruised past Paris Saint-Germain with a commanding 3-0 win in the first edition of the expanded Club World Cup.
Speaking to DAZN after the match, Trump said, “Many years ago, when I was young, they brought a player named Pelé to play, and he played for a team called the Cosmos. He was the inspiration we had, and this place was packed.”
Reflecting on Pelé’s time with the New York Cosmos in the defunct NASL from 1975 to 1977, Trump added, “It was an earlier version of this stadium, but right here in the Meadowlands, and it was Pelé. 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. I’d say, probably go old-fashioned. That’s like saying Babe Ruth, but I would say Pelé was so great.”
Trump has also linked the current football events to his political ambitions, positioning the Club World Cup and the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup—whose final will be held at the same venue—as symbols of what he calls a “Golden Age of America,” should he win a second term.
The 2026 tournament will also coincide with the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.
