Is Barron Trump Even Athletic? Donald's Repetitive Boasting Leaves Us With Questions

Donald Trump loves to brag about youngest child, and he especially can't stop talking about Barron Trump's height and athleticism. Donald repeatedly mentions those two traits whenever Barron's name comes up in interviews. "Barron is a very good athlete. He's very tall," Donald boasted to "The Megyn Kelly Show" in 2023. The former president's son is reportedly involved in several sports, but there is one that is closest to his heart. "He plays golf and — different sports. Soccer, loves soccer, very good at soccer. He's a good athlete, Barron," Donald said on the "This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von" podcast in August 2024.

Thanks largely to Melania Trump's efforts to keep Barron out of the spotlight, the public has seen little of the only Trump child to live in the White House. So, it's hard to assess whether he's as talented as his father claims. Melania has also suggested that Barron is "all into sports" while addressing a crowd in Lynchburg, Virginia, in November 2018, according to Town & Country. However, her statement doesn't shed light on whether that means her son enjoys watching sports or whether he has actually has any athletic prowess.

We do know that Barron played soccer in school, notably joining the D.C. United U-12 team in 2017, when he was 11. He was a midfielder on the team for one season. He continued to invest in the sport, joining the Arlington Soccer Association's U-13 team for the 2018-19 season. What came of his sports aspirations after that is less clear.

Barron Trump may have quit playing soccer when in high school, but it's hard to know for sure. Oxbridge Academy has a good soccer program, which The U.S. Sun conjectured could have played a role in Barron's decision to attend the school. However, Barron isn't listed on the Oxbridge Academy ThunderWolves' roster between 2021 and 2024, when he attended the school. While there is little evidence of Barron's athletics in more recent times, his youth performances received positive reviews.

Footage of Barron playing throughout adolescence has made its way to TikTok, displaying some impressive dribbling skills for someone a head taller than everyone else on the field. Social media users were quick to point out the similarities between Barron and Peter Crouch, the English player who set himself apart as the rare example of a 6-foot-7 striker. "Peter Crouch has a son with [Lionel] Messi," one user commented, referring to the F.C. Barcelona and Argentina legend known for his insane dribbling abilities.

In another TikTok video, Barron showed his midfielder skills, receiving the ball before turning away from his opponent to protect the ball and pass it to his teammate. While some saw similarities between his style and Erling Haaland's, the Norwegian star who plays as a Manchester City forward at 6 foot 4 inches, others noted that successful towering outfielders are rare. "He's uncoordinated and slow. He's growing about 6" a year, it's got to be awkward," an X user noted. 

When you're the son of the United States president, you don't have to be a prodigy to receive lessons from one of the best. In 2019, when he was 13, Barron Trump had soccer lessons with none other than Wayne Rooney, the Manchester United legend widely regarded as one of the best English players of all time. At the end of his career at the time, Rooney was playing for D.C. United when the lessons took place.

Donald Trump himself had arranged them, inspired by his son's love of soccer. "(He'd) asked me to give his son (Barron) football lessons," he told former soccer player Gary Neville on his show "The Overlap" in May 2024. Rooney had met Barron the previous December when the soccer icon was invited to the annual Christmas party at the White House. He posted a picture alongside Barron and two other players from the Arlington U-13 team. Rooney later deleted the photo after his visit drew backlash.

However, a source told ESPN that Rooney never meant for his visit to imply he supported the controversial president. Nonetheless, there he was again teaching Barron how to improve his soccer skills just a few months later. Rooney even played golf with Donald and Rudy Giuliani, which was supposedly Barron's doing. "[Barron] took me up into the Oval Office and then from there, his [personal assistant] was just texting, 'Do you want to play a few holes?'" Rooney told Neville. Unfortunately, we have no concrete evidence on whether the private lessons helped Barron's soccer skills or were just one of the perks of being the president's son.