Juventus meet Donald Trump at the White House as he discusses Iran conflict and transgender women in sport – The New York Times

FIFA Club World Cup
Club World Cup
The Athletic has live coverage of Al Ain vs Juventus at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup
A selection of Juventus players, coaches and executives attended the Oval Office and met with President Donald Trump on Wednesday before the Italian side’s Club World Cup opener.
A Juventus delegation including U.S. men’s national team players Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah and owner John Elkann were invited to the White House, where they presented President Trump with a No 47 jersey.
Advertisement
Head coach Igor Tudor, Italy internationals Manuel Locatelli and Federico Gatti, Netherlands midfielder Teun Koopmeiners, Serbia striker Dusan Vlahovic, former defender Giorgio Chiellini, who now works as the club’s director of football strategy, CEO Maurizio Scanavino and general manager Damien Comolli were all also in attendance, alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
The Juventus delegation stood in the background as Trump answered questions on the Iran-Israel conflict, while he also attempted to discuss transgender women’s participation in sport with the team.
“We have a very good women’s team,” Comolli replied, when asked by Trump if they thought a woman could make the Juventus men’s team.
Juventus were in Washington D.C. ahead of the beginning of their Club World Cup campaign against Al Ain at Audi Field on Wednesday evening.
World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers and Super Bowl winners Philadelphia Eagles are among those to have visited the White House in Trump’s second presidency and it has been a tradition under previous presidents for championship-winning sides to be invited.
Trump has a close relationship with FIFA president Infantino, who was in the Oval Office in March to sign an executive order establishing a White House task force for the 2026 men’s World Cup.
Juventus and U.S. midfielder McKennie previously criticised Trump during his first term as president.
Speaking in June 2020, in the wake of the Black Lives Matter Protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, McKennie told German media outlet Bild: “I don’t think that Trump is the right one for the job as the president. I stand by these words. I believe he doesn’t understand the responsibility he has for the entire country. I think he’s ignorant. I don’t support him a bit. I don’t think he’s a man to stand by his word. In my eyes, you can call him racist.”
(Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
Ali Rampling is a News Editor at The Athletic. Prior to joining The Athletic, she worked as the Women’s Football Editor at 90min. Ali attended Loughborough University, and originates from Ipswich. Follow Ali on Twitter @AliRampling

source