The U.S. president's love for sports is well known. And not only because he hosted the championship-winning Washington team with Alexander Ovechkin in his Oval Office, took the original trophy of the Club World Cup, and plans to hold a UFC tournament in the White House.
The U.S. President tried his hand in various fields and successfully ran business projects even before his political career.
However, he was not as successful in sports. Although there were iconic episodes. At one time, Trump worked as a consultant for the great Mike Tyson.
He Was Supposed to Be a Professional Baseball Player
Donald had been passionate about baseball since his time studying at the New York Military Academy in the 1960s. However, back then he was also involved in football and basketball. But his coaches and teammates on the baseball team noted his talent.
The future president threw the ball impressively, so Trump was considered an ideal pitcher. Moreover, he was the captain. The American himself thought about a career as an athlete. But after graduating, he did not play baseball anymore because he did not see a future in it.
Ruined the Football League in the U.S.
In the 1980s, the influential Trump attempted several times to buy NFL teams. But the American football teams were not yielding.
First, he tried to acquire the Baltimore Colts, and a couple of years later the Dallas Cowboys — both times the businessman was unsuccessful. However, he did not give up on his cherished desire.
Ultimately, in 1984, he decided to settle in a more modest place — the United States Football League (USFL). It had only existed for a year at that time, and Donald saw an enticing prospect in the project. The future president became the owner of the New Jersey Generals. Trump quickly began attracting increased attention to himself and the team because he did whatever he wanted — he signed players from the NFL, intercepted promising college students, and conducted a powerful transfer policy.
It is clear that the owner was generous with salaries. This led to a crisis in the league... Trump literally broke a huge hole in the salary cap. But even here, the politician tried to find a solution. He proposed that the clubs move the schedule to "fall-winter" and pull off a small scam. The NFL teams opposed changing the schedule in another league. No one wanted to share stadiums.
And Donald was just waiting for this. He filed a lawsuit — accused the NFL of violating antitrust laws and ultimately won. Although not a huge amount, just over $3 million, which was certainly not enough for the successful existence of the championship.
As a result, there was no new season for the USFL, and the league closed down.
Friendship with Mike Tyson and Working as His Consultant
In those same years, in the mid-80s, Donald invested in another profitable venture.
He began developing his casino chain and decided to host boxing nights there to attract customers. By the way, there was also wrestling, but more on that later. The idea turned out to be successful. Trump hosted more than a hundred fights a year at his gambling establishments. And visitors always left substantial amounts in anticipation of the bouts.
It was then that the enterprising showman met the 18-year-old Mike Tyson. The young man was already considered one of the most promising fighters on the planet. Therefore, Donald did not part ways with the talented boxer.
Mike fought several matches in the Trump Plaza skyscraper. But the key joint venture was the fight against Michael Spinks in 1988. Tyson knocked out his opponent in 91 seconds and earned $22 million from it. And his friend Trump, who organized the fight, counted a net profit of $25 million.
After that evening, Iron Mike fired his manager Bill Cayton, signed a contract with Donald's company, and made the future U.S. president his consultant for the coming years.
Created His Own "Tour de France"
Trump also left his mark in cycling. In the late 1980s, he created an analog of the "Tour de France" — a race along the eastern coast of the U.S. It was called "Tour de Trump," and the finish line was right at Donald's casino in Atlantic City.
The multi-day event was popular due to a hefty prize pool — $250,000. But by the early 1990s, the businessman withdrew funding for the race, and the competition changed its name.
The "Billionaire's Fight" in Wrestling
Back in the 1980s, Trump hosted wrestling nights at his casino. The future politician met Vince McMahon — the founder of WWE. He even hosted the popular show Wrestlemania.
In the 1990s and 2000s, the entrepreneur consistently found himself in front of cameras when he came to watch wrestling. And in 2007, he even participated in the "Billionaire's Fight" and climbed into the ring. He did not fight himself. He and McMahon chose their fighters. Trump won, of course. And then Donald shaved the defeated Vince bald right by the ropes. In 2013, Trump was even inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for his contributions to wrestling.
World Award for the U.S. President
Trump's relationships with boxing, wrestling, and MMA have been the most successful, but the U.S. president's relationship with soccer is much more modest. The world's main sport has not yielded to the politician. Just like in American football, he attempted to buy a club. But all attempts were unsuccessful.
In 2012, the entrepreneur was eager to acquire the Rangers. The Scottish team was going through tough times and was on the brink of bankruptcy.
It seemed that everything was heading toward a purchase. Trump even began constructing a golf center nearby. But the deal fell through at the last moment.
And in 2015, Donald took a liking to the famous Colombian club Atlético Nacional. However, the South American side requested $150 million. Trump could not afford it and abandoned the idea of buying the team.
The American president's peculiar love for soccer was evident this year. When he flew to the Club World Cup final in the U.S. by helicopter, stuffed the medal into his suit pocket, celebrated Chelsea's victory on the podium with the players, and then decided to keep the original trophy in his office in Washington. The Londoners only took home a copy.
Now it seems surreal that Trump received a special World Award from FIFA in December. The head of the organization, Gianni Infantino, established an annual award for outstanding achievements in the fight for peace and unity. In December 2025, the first recipient was the U.S. president. But due to recent events in Venezuela and the escalation of the situation around Greenland, it seems that Donald will not see more similar awards.
The American leader also made a mark in other sports. He was often seen at UFC nights, many media outlets reported on his friendship with Dana White, and now everyone is waiting for the already much-talked-about tournament at the White House. His relationship with basketball and the NBA has not been as smooth. There have been numerous conflicts with league representatives and players.
