Donald Trump was reportedly effusive in his praise of Cole Palmer after his two-goal salvo helped Chelsea win the Club World Cup on Sunday night.
The 23-year-old scored two first-half goals at the Met Life Stadium in New York City as the Blues thrashed Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 to win the inaugural version of the revamped competition.
After scoring his second and third goals of the final, adding to his game-winning strike against Brazilian outfit Palmeiras in the quarter-finals, the England international was named as the Player of the Tournament after Chelsea's final victory against the French and European champions.
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Bizarrely, it was the US President who presented Palmer with his Player of the Tournament award alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Now, a lip reader has revealed what Trump, who was booed by a section of the crowd during the match at the Met Life Stadium, said to the Chelsea superstar.
According to James Freeman, Trump, the 47th President of the United States, said: "Chelsea's biggest fan. I'm a big fan of you. So well done, you."
England international Palmer, who has earned a reputation as a man of few words since joining Chelsea from Manchester in 2023, reportedly replied: "Thank you."
However, Trump's awkward interactions with Chelsea didn't end there as he was front and centre of the podium when skipper Reece James lofted the trophy high into the New York sky.
And when asked after the game about Trump gatecrashing his side's celebrations, Palmer 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, so I was a bit confused, yeah."
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