Cole Palmer's ‘ice-cold’ reaction to Trump after POTUS' awkward Messi comment - Watch

Several social media users pointed out that Cole Palmer was ‘reluctant’ to shake hands with President Trump after Chelsea's Club Wold Cup win

Updated on: Jul 14, 2025, 04:29:22 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Several social media users pointed out that Cole Palmer was ‘reluctant’ to shake hands with President Donald Trump as the latter handed him the Golden Boy trophy after Chelsea's 3-0 win against PSG in the Club World Cup final on Sunday. Some X users said the English attacking midfielder was visibly ‘uncomfortable’.

President Donald Trump presents Cole Palmer the Golden Ball trophy at the FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium (Getty Images via AFP)

Earlier in the day, Trump appeared to confuse Palmer with Inter Miami star Lionel Messi. Viewers spotted the 79-year-old asking FIFA President Gianni Infantino if the Chelsea star was Messi. Infantino instantly corrected him.

During the awards ceremony, Cole Palmer was named the player of the tournament. Trump handed the 23-year-old the golden ball. However, Chelsea fans noticed that the Chelsea star's reaction was ‘ice-cold’.

“Cole Palmer doesn’t rate Trump,” one fan wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Can’t lie Palmer looked uncomfortable as **** at the prospect of shaking hands with Trump there,” another one added.

“You can tell Palmer can't believe his life,” a third fan tweeted.

"Did Cole Palmer even realise he just met president Trump?" another one joked.

Trump then got involved in Chelsea's trophy lift, standing in the middle of the squad on the podium. The moment was described by fans as plain ‘awkward’.

At half-time, the president credited Messi for the popularity of soccer in the US. The Argentine joined Inter Miami after an ugly PSG exit. He now has scored a brace in five consecutive games.

Cole Palmer feeling confident

"It's a great feeling. Even better because everyone doubted us before the game, we knew that. To put a fight on like we did, it's good," Palmer told DAZN after Chelsea's win on Sunday.

"I like finals. It's happened again. The gaffer put a great gameplan out. He knew where the space was going to be. He tried to free me up as much as possible and I just had to repay him and score some goals. He is building something special, something important. Everyone has talked a lot of s*** about us all season but I feel like we are going in the right direction," he added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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