World Cup 2026: Donald Trump will not attend US opening game
President Donald Trump will not attend the United States men’s national team’s opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Paraguay on Friday, according to World Cup Task Force CEO Andrew Giuliani.
The announcement confirms earlier reports that Trump was not planning to be present for the fixture at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Instead, the U.S. government will be represented by senior officials, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin expected to attend the match.
Speaking to UK radio station TalkSport on Thursday, Giuliani attributed Trump’s absence to scheduling commitments but suggested the president would remain closely involved with the tournament.
“He’s not going to end up attending the opening game,” Giuliani said.
“As we’ve said, his scheduling is tight. But I know he’s going to be engaged throughout this World Cup.”
Giuliani also hinted that Trump could make appearances at future matches as the tournament progresses.
“But the one thing, having known President Trump for now 30 years, what I can tell you is: expect the unexpected. Always expect a cliffhanger with him. Throughout the course of this tournament, it wouldn’t surprise me if we see him engage more and more with the World Cup.”
Trump’s decision to miss the United States’ opening fixture is notable given that heads of state from host nations have traditionally attended their teams’ first matches at recent World Cups.
In 2022, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended Qatar’s opening game on home soil, while Vladimir Putin was present during the opening stages of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The United States, one of three co-hosts of the expanded 48-team tournament alongside Mexico and Canada, begin their campaign against Paraguay looking to make a strong start in front of home supporters.
The post World Cup 2026: Donald Trump will not attend US opening game appeared first on Vanguard News.