2026 World Cup: Donald Trump’s stadium debut has been decided; Italy could have canceled it

Donald Trump has not yet attended any 2026 World Cup matches in person, even though they are being held primarily in the U.S. and he frequently promoted them in the months leading up to the tournament. After even missing the opening ceremony, however, he now seems to have decided when he will make his first appearance in the stands. And curiously, it’s an event that would have intersected with Italy’s fate had the Azzurri, under then-head coach Gennaro Gattuso, qualified for the tournament in America.

The U.S. national team’s schedule, in fact, includes the Round of 16 on Wednesday, July 1 (although in Italy it will be 2 a.m. on Thursday, July 2). Their opponent is none other than Bosnia, the team that dealt a fatal blow to the Azzurri on their path to the 2026 World Cup. Well, whichever team advances from the match to be held in San Francisco will qualify for the Round of 16, scheduled for 2 a.m. Italian time on Tuesday, July 7, in Seattle. And it is precisely on that occasion that Trump might make an appearance.

Confirmation comes from “The Seattle Times,” which reports that “King County International Airport has informed a local company of the possibility of a temporary airspace restriction linked to the arrival in the city of the President or Vice President on July 6, should the U.S. national team advance to the World Cup round of 16 on that date.” David Gudgel, president of Kenmore Air, followed up on the rumor by speaking with the newspaper about the information received from the local airport.

Bosnia therefore remains an obstacle to President Donald Trump’s “World Cup mission,” though it has already been largely downplayed in U.S. television coverage. Clearly, if things had gone differently in Zenica, Italy could have been the one playing that match. Another condition, however, would have been that the Azzurri finish Group B in third place, behind Switzerland and Canada—just as their opponents did in the European playoffs. It’s still intriguing to think, however, that in an alternate timeline, a potential matchup in San Francisco between our national team and the U.S. team could have delayed—and potentially canceled—the U.S. president’s first appearance in the stands at a World Cup he had so eagerly awaited, publicized, and celebrated.

After all, Trump’s absence from the U.S. opening match did not go unnoticed, and according to some rumors, it was not entirely coincidental. According to reports in the *Mirror*, some White House aides had advised caution regarding public appearances during the tournament, concerned about chants from fans from English-speaking countries—particularly England, Scotland, Australia, and New Zealand—who associate the president’s name with that of Jeffrey Epstein. An anonymous source had told the British newspaper that there was concern in the White House about the potential media impact of these protests, especially during matches involving English-speaking national teams. This speculation had even fueled rumors that his attendance at the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium might be reconsidered, although there has been no official confirmation from the White House to that effect at this time.

Despite these tensions, Trump has continued to publicly celebrate the tournament. On Truth, he wrote: “The numbers are far greater than those of any other World Cup in history. It’s a great tribute to the United States of America. Thank you, everyone!” This enthusiasm was also reiterated in the Oval Office, where—in the face of controversy over visas denied to several delegations—the most striking case being that of Iran, which was forced to base itself in Tijuana with its logistical staff unable to obtain the necessary documents—the president dismissed the issue with just a few words: “Let’s let the right people in,” adding that “the World Cup has never been such a huge success.” This stance echoed that of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who, faced with the same controversy, had stated: “We cannot interfere in the immigration policies of a host country.”

Infantino himself, meanwhile, had already announced on ‘Fox’ that Trump would attend the tournament final: “We’ll be there together to enjoy the final and present the trophy to the winner.” This would not be the president’s first appearance at a major FIFA soccer event: last year, Trump was present at MetLife Stadium for the Club World Cup final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, where his entrance onto the stage was met with boos from part of the crowd. His potential appearance in Seattle on July 6 would therefore represent a stepping stone—and in some ways a test run—before the final event that the FIFA president himself has already scheduled.