In a story that seems more like a political thriller than a sports report, Chelsea's rising star Noni Madueke has been left devastated after his coveted Club World Cup winner's medal vanished under extraordinary circumstances—during a visit to the most famous house in the world.
The bizarre incident occurred when the England Under-21 international was invited to the White House alongside former FIFA president Gianni Infantino, during the administration of former US President Donald Trump.
The prized medal, awarded for his role in Chelsea's 2021 Club World Cup triumph, was presented to Madueke by Infantino himself during the high-profile meeting. It was a moment of pride for the young winger, who was then playing for PSV Eindhoven but had already been scouted by the London giants.
However, the celebration was short-lived. Somehow, between the handshakes, photographs, and the grandeur of the Oval Office, the physical symbol of a career milestone simply disappeared.
Despite exhaustive searches and inquiries, the medal has never been recovered. Its whereabouts remain a complete mystery, leaving Madueke with only the memory and photographic evidence of the occasion, but not the trophy itself.
The incident adds a strange postscript to Madueke's journey from PSV to Chelsea in a £29 million move. While he now focuses on making his mark at Stamford Bridge under Mauricio Pochettino, the question of what truly happened to his medal in the halls of American power remains an unresolved, and undoubtedly frustrating, mystery.
