Trump calls Pochettino to back USMNT ahead of World Cup 2026 opener against Paraguay

Donald Trump called USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino on the eve of the United States’ World Cup 2026 Group D opener against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, telling him he believed the side could go ‘all the way’ in the tournament. The call was captured on video and posted to the USMNT’s official X account on 12 June 2026.

The conversation was confirmed by Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House World Cup Task Force, who also revealed that Trump would not be attending the match in person due to a scheduling conflict. Paraguay’s president, Santiago Peña, has no such clash — he announced he will be present at SoFi Stadium to support his national team.

In the video, Trump told Pochettino: “I just called to say you’re a fantastic guy and a fantastic coach. I know all about your record and your success, and I know how great the players are. I think you have a really good chance of going all the way. So I just want to wish you a lot of luck.”

Pochettino responded: “Thank you so much for your support, Mr President, and we are going to do everything to make you proud and all the people here in this country.”

The fixture pits Group D’s highest and lowest ranked sides against one another — the USA sit 17th in the FIFA world rankings, with Paraguay placed 41st. Despite that gap, Paraguay enters the match in marginally better recent form, recording three wins from their last five games compared to the USA’s two from five.

The two nations met in a November 2025 friendly, with the USA winning 2-1 through goals from Folarin Balogun and Giovanni Reyna, before Alex Arce pulled one back for Paraguay. Stats provider Opta Analyst gives Pochettino’s side a 40% chance of victory tonight, with Paraguay rated at 33%.