G7 Leaders Focus on War and Trade, but Microphones Capture Sideline Chats on Football and Quitting Smoking

The Group of Seven (G7) summit was held this week in Évian, France, with world leaders focusing on major issues including war, trade, and the global economy. However, several microphones on site inadvertently captured numerous off-the-record conversations, revealing that leaders also discussed sensitive topics such as China and Greenland, as well as popular subjects like football, combat sports, and even quitting smoking.

According to reports by the Canadian Television Network (CTV), footage shows Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney approaching U.S. President Donald Trump, who was seated, and leaning in to speak before the official working lunch began today. Audio picked up by microphones indicates the two discussed Canada’s policy on importing electric vehicles from China.

Carney told Trump, "Less than 3% of our market—49,000 vehicles." He used hand gestures to indicate a cap and emphasized, "It's quota-based, a hard limit." He then added, "I thought you'd like this arrangement."

Trump responded, "That's great. I like it."

Another microphone recording captured Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz discussing quitting smoking.

When Merz asked Meloni if she had smoked that morning, she revealed she had completely quit smoking since May 1.

The news was immediately met with enthusiastic congratulations from several leaders present, including those from Canada, the UK, Japan, and the European Union. Meloni raised her hands in celebration, while Carney joked, "Are you using nicotine patches?" as he pointed to his arm, lightening the mood.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, naturally became a common topic among leaders.

According to reports, before the lunch began, French President Emmanuel Macron was discussing football with other leaders when someone shouted, "Allez les Bleus!" (Go, the Blues!).

Discussions also touched on Paris Saint-Germain’s recent successful defense of their title in the UEFA Champions League. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised Cape Verde, a small African nation, for their unexpected draw against tournament favorite Spain. "I have to say, it was truly remarkable," he said.

Meanwhile, Trump shifted the conversation to combat sports. He excitedly mentioned hosting a UFC event at the White House on his 80th birthday and strongly praised UFC President Dana White.

One of the most intriguing recordings of the day came from a brief exchange between Trump and European Council President António Costa.

The audio captured Trump saying, "You understand, right?" Pausing briefly, he looked at Costa and added, "Greenland."

Since only part of the conversation was recorded, the full context remains unclear, making it impossible to determine what they were discussing.

Greenland has been a sensitive political issue in recent years. Trump has previously expressed interest in acquiring control of Greenland, sparking backlash from Denmark and several European nations. As a result, this brief exchange immediately triggered speculation.

Another lighthearted moment occurred during the summit.

After the lunch concluded, Carney noticed that Macron appeared to have left his watch on the conference table.

"He left his watch here," Carney said to those around. "His watch is right here." Trump immediately replied, "If he doesn't want it, give it to me!" prompting laughter from the group.

Gift exchanges among leaders were also a highlight of the summit.

According to reports, Macron gifted each of the other six leaders a custom-designed bicycle to promote the upcoming Cycling World Championships to be held next year in the French Alps.

It is widely known that Trump does not ride bicycles and has joked that aside from regular golf, he hardly exercises at all. This made his reaction to receiving a bicycle gift a point of curiosity, though unfortunately, microphones did not capture it.

Merz, who recently had a dispute with Trump over the Iran war issue, presented Trump with a German national football team jersey featuring Trump’s name and the number "47," symbolizing his status as the 47th U.S. president.

Trump smiled as he held up the jersey for the media to photograph.

Merz later posted a photo on social media with a meaningful caption: "After all, we're on the same team."

(Edited by Tien Jui-hua) 1150617

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