On the eve of their Club World Cup debut against Al-Ain, a Juventus delegation was received at the White House by U.S. President Donald Trump. Among the group was Timothy Weah, who later shared his candid impressions of the unusual encounter, particularly Trump’s unexpected political commentary.
A Prestigious Yet Surprising Visit
The Juventus delegation included players such as Weah, Federico Gatti, Manuel Locatelli, Weston McKennie, and Teun Koopmeiners, as well as key executives like John Elkann, Giorgio Chiellini, Maurizio Scanavino, and Damien Comolli. The visit, which also featured FIFA President Gianni Infantino, was intended to promote the Club World Cup and strengthen ties between the worlds of football and diplomacy.
For Weah, the experience was both prestigious and unexpected. “Honestly, it was all a surprise to me — they told us we had to go, and I had no choice. I was taken aback,” Weah told The Athletic. “It felt a bit odd. When he began discussing politics regarding Iran and everything, I was just thinking, ‘I want to play football, man.’”
Trump’s Political Turn
During the 16-minute session in the Oval Office, President Trump addressed a variety of topics, including the Iran-Israel situation and even raised questions about the possibility of women joining the Juventus men’s team. For Weah, who was attending such an event for the first time, the shift from football to politics was jarring. “It was a surprise for me, we were told we were going to the White House and I had no choice. Going to the White House was obviously a great experience, being my first time, but I’m not someone who talks about politics so it wasn’t fun. It was a bit strange and it surprised me when he started talking about politics, about Iran and everything else. I just want to play football,” he said.
