Trump’s Oval Office Chat with Juventus Team Turns Awkward

On June 18, Italian football giants Juventus visited the White House ahead of their Club World Cup match against Al Ain in Washington. The delegation—including Americans Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, general manager Damien Comolli, and FIFA’s Gianni Infantino—stood behind Trump during an Oval Office appearance.

Trump took the opportunity to ask,

“Could a woman make your team, fellas?”

After silence from players, Comolli diplomatically noted Juventus “have a very good women's team.” Trump replied, “But they should be playing with women,” before labeling the club as “very diplomatic”.

Post-match comments from Tim Weah described the encounter as “a bit weird.” He said it was a “surprise” and he simply wanted to focus on football—not politics. Weston McKennie, who has openly criticized Trump before, remained silent during the exchange.

Trump shifted to other political topics, addressing tensions with Iran and referencing alleged misuse of autopen signatures by Biden aides. Infantino later remarked that FIFA had “excellent cooperation” with the U.S. government despite travel ban concerns.

The event was emblematic of the blurred line between sports diplomacy and domestic politics. Juve used the visit to tout their women’s team; Trump leveraged it to push GOP talking points—drawing criticism from players and media.

Juventus’s White House visit became an unexpected platform for Trump’s commentary on gender and foreign policy—leaving players like Weah visibly uncomfortable. The moment underscored how sports figures can find themselves thrust into political crosshairs—sometimes unintentionally.