World Cup 2026, Trump’s surprise move prompts debate

U.S. President Donald Trump will not be present at the U.S. national team’s first match in the 2026 World Cup. This is reported by several news sources including Politico and The Athletic. The match, scheduled for Friday in Los Angeles, will see the United States face Paraguay: the president’s schedule does not include his presence at the stadium. The White House and State Department have maintained official silence, neither confirming nor denying the rumors.

A State Department spokesman confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead a high-level delegation representing the U.S. administration. In addition to Rubio, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Marquin Mullen will be part of the delegation.

While U.S. fans eagerly await their national team’s debut, President Trump’s absence from the first home game raises questions about his level of involvement in top sporting events during the tournament. This is a particularly relevant question given the great political clout of a global event of this magnitude hosted by the United States.

SoFi Stadium in Inglewood (Los Angeles) will host two of the U.S. national team’s group stage matches. After Paraguay, the Americans will face Australia and Turkey. The tournament begins Thursday with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa at Mexico City’s historic Azteca Stadium.