US President Donald Trump has stolen the spotlight at the soccer Club World Cup final by planting himself in the middle of the victory trophy lift.

Players from the UK’s Chelsea team were celebrating on stage after defeating Paris St Germain 3-0 at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.

Trump presented the trophy to Chelsea captain Reece James and was then invited to leave by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

However, after a pause from the players, Trump stayed on statge and there seemed to be confusion about whether Chelsea should continue with the trophy lift.

“Are you going to leave?” James reportedly asked Trump before raising the trophy.

The Chelsea captain said later he had expected Trump to go before the ceremonial moment.

But Trump remained at the focal point of the celebrations, smiling and clapping before Infantino eventually pulled him away.

“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,” said James later.

“He just congratulated me and the team for lifting the trophy and told us to enjoy the moment.”

Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer, who scored twice, 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.

“I was a bit confused, yes.”

Trump attended the game with first lady Melania Trump. They received some cheers, but also boos when Trump was shown on the video screens and later when he presented medals on the field.

The confusion lit up social media. X user Jake Buckley wrote: “People in 50 years are gonna be so confused when they see this picture and think Donald Trump managed Chelsea to the first-ever Club World Cup.”

Chris D Jackson posted that Trump’s refusal to move was a “total embarrassment”.

Chelsea and Paris St Germain were in the final of FIFA’s revamped 32-team Club World Cup on Sunday (local time), capping off a month-long tournament in the US.

The French and English sides, two of European football’s most powerful and richest clubs, competed for the honour of being the first champions of FIFA’s expanded competition.

The event was a glittering curtain-raiser for the 2026 World Cup in North America.

The tournament was filled with surprises, including shock exits for Manchester City and Inter Milan at the hands of underdogs Al Hilal and Fluminense respectively.

-with AAP