German Chancellor Surprises President Trump with a Birthday Gift

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz brought a surprise birthday present for U.S. President Donald Trump during the G7 Summit of the Group of Seven (G7) in France.
on Tuesday, handing him a customized German national team soccer jersey.

According to German media reports that on May 16, Chancellor Merz surprised Trump with a gift as the latter sat down for a working session on Ukraine. The gift was a customized jersey of the German national football team.

The U.S. President then lifted the back of the jersey for photogaphers to capture before placing it before placing it beside him on the meeting table.

The jersey features President Trump’s name and the number 47, indicating that he is the 47th president of the United States. The U.S. is one of the host nations for the 2026 World Cup, which kicked off last week.

Sharing an image of the gift-giving moment on social media platform X, Chancellor Merz sent belated birthday wishes to Trump, who turns 80. "Anyway, we're on the same team," he wrote in English. U.S. President Donald Trump celebrated his 80th birthday on June 14.

Chancellor Merz has on previous occasions has given Trump personally prepared gifts.
During his first visit to the White House after taking office last year, Chancellor Merz presented President Trump with a framed, gold-plated copy of his grandfather's birth certificate. President Trump's grandfather grew up in the western part of Germany before immigrating to the United States.

Chancellor Merz also gave Trump a golf club, and the U.S. leader immediately tried out the gift in the Oval Office.

The 2026 World Cup final tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across three North American countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

On June 15, the German team made a stronger start in Group E of the 2026 World Cup, crushing Curacao with a 7-1 score.

Previously, on June 11, the U.S. defeated Paraguay 4-1 in its opening match of the 2026 World Cup as the host nation.