German Chancellor Friedrich Merz presented United States President Donald Trump with a personalised German national football team jersey during the G7 Summit in France, offering the gift as a belated birthday present to the American leader, who turned 80 on Sunday.

The exchange took place on Tuesday as leaders gathered in Evian for discussions, including a session focused on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The gesture carried additional symbolism as the United States is one of the co-hosts of the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, alongside Canada and Mexico.

The white jersey featured Trump’s name and the number “47” on the back, signifying his position as the 47th President of the United States. Trump accepted the gift with a smile and briefly held it up for photographers before folding it and placing it on the table beside him.

Sharing photographs of the moment on social media platform X, Merz wrote, “Happy belated 80th birthday. After all, we’re on the same team.”

Football Diplomacy at the G7

The gift came against the backdrop of strong starts by both the United States and Germany in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The US men’s team began its campaign with a convincing 4-1 victory over Paraguay on Friday, while Germany registered an emphatic 7-1 win against Curacao on Sunday.

Observers viewed the jersey presentation as a light-hearted display of camaraderie between the two leaders amid high-level diplomatic engagements at the summit.

Not the First Personal Gift

This is not the first time Merz has presented Trump with a customised gift.

During a meeting last year, the German Chancellor gifted the US president a golf club and a gold-framed reproduction of the birth certificate of Trump’s paternal grandfather, who was born and raised in Germany.

The latest gesture highlighted the personal rapport between the two leaders, while also underscoring the growing prominence of football diplomacy as the World Cup continues to capture global attention.

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