Donald Trump will not attend the United States’ debut in the 2026 World Cup, against Paraguay, this Friday, in Los Angeles. The information was confirmed by Andrew Giuliani, CEO of the tournament task force, who attributed the absence to the president’s tight schedule.
The decision is at odds with what usually happens in World Cups. In general, heads of state from the host country attend their team’s first game. It was like this with Dilma Rousseff, in Brazil in 2014, Vladimir Putin, in Russia in 2018, and Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in Qatar in 2022.
In an interview with British radio TalkSportGiuliani stated that Trump should participate more in the World Cup throughout the tournament, even though he will be left out of the debut. According to him, the president tends to gradually get involved with the event. “With Trump, you always expect the unexpected,” he said.
For the game against Paraguay, the official representation of the American government will be made up of members of the first division. The State Department reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin will be at the stadium.
Trump has cultivated a close relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and has been present at sporting events since returning to the White House. In recent weeks, he has been at commitments such as the NBA Finals, the Super Bowl, UFC events and the Daytona 500.
