German Chancellor Merz gifts US President Trump a fake‑flocked soccer jersey

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz presented US President Donald Trump with a German national football team jersey for Trump's 80th birthday. The jersey, an Adidas Authentic home kit costing about €150, was supposed to display the name and number “Trump 47”. The Chancellery later noted that the embroidery was not original: the DFB logo on the back number was missing and the white stripes differed from the official version, indicating a non‑official flock.

During a press interview on the sidelines of the G7 meeting in Évian, France, Merz said Trump could “play on almost any position” and answered “both” when asked whether he was more of a striker or defender. He also praised Germany's 7‑1 opening World Cup win over Curaçao and warned that the upcoming match against the Ivory Coast would be more difficult.