Teun Koopmeiners had a memorable day. The midfielder met U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday and hours later, Juventus defeated Al Ain at the Club World Cup: 0-5.
Trump received part of the Juventus squad in his Oval Office on the occasion of the World Cup in the United States. Koopmeiners and the other players shook hands with Trump, after which they stood behind the president.
In the presence of the Juventus delegation, Trump discussed, among other things, the transgender policy in American sports. The president also addressed questions from journalists about the conflict between Israel and Iran.
Hours later, Juventus recorded a simple victory at the World Cup in Washington. Randal Kolo Muani, former Ajax player Francisco Conceição (both twice), and Kenan Yildiz were accurate against Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates.
Koopmeiners was allowed to substitute for Juventus after an hour. These were the first playing minutes for the Orange international since mid-April. The 27-year-old midfielder had been struggling with an injury since then.
Thanks to the victory, Juventus is now tied with Manchester City at the top of Group G. Red Bull Salzburg took the lead in Group H on Wednesday. The Austrian team won 1-2 against the Mexican Pachuca and passed Real Madrid, which had drawn against Saudi Al Hilal (1-1).