Trump Possible Absence from World Cup Opening Match in the United States
Uncertainty surrounds the presence of US President Donald Trump (79 years old) at the opening match of the US national team at the 2026 World Cup. No official announcement has been made regarding his attendance, despite numerous American press reports suggesting his absence.
On Thursday, the American websites Politico and The Athletic published reports, citing anonymous sources within the White House, indicating that US President Donald Trump (79 years old) will not be in the stands at Inglewood Stadium in Los Angeles for the opening match of the US national team against Paraguay, the first match of Group D in the 2026 World Cup.
It is a tradition at the World Cup for the head of state of each country to attend their national team's opening match, marking the start of the world's biggest football tournament. Neither the White House nor the State Department has commented on this information, nor confirmed the absence of the US president from the World Cup opening match. Reports also indicate that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to attend the match as Trump's representative at the stadium, leading a delegation that also includes Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Marquinhos.
The United States, along with Mexico and Canada, is hosting the largest edition of the FIFA World Cup in history. For the first time, 48 teams are participating in the competition, which consists of 104 matches culminating in the final. The US team will play two of its three group stage matches at the stadium of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers in Inglewood, south of Los Angeles. In addition to Paraguay, the United States will face Australia and Turkey.
