Trump to skip USA's World Cup opener against Paraguay as Rubio leads delegation

Donald Trump will not attend the United States’ opening 2026 World Cup match against Paraguay in Los Angeles on Friday, breaking with the precedent set by other host-nation leaders at recent tournaments.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the government delegation to SoFi Stadium, travelling from Washington alongside transport secretary Sean Duffy and homeland security secretary Markwayne Mullin. Trump’s absence is widely reported as confirmed barring a last-minute change of plan.

The decision stands in contrast to how other host nations have marked their tournament openers. Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended Qatar’s first game against Ecuador at the 2022 World Cup, while Vladimir Putin watched Russia face Saudi Arabia in Moscow at the 2018 edition.

Trump will instead be at the White House on Saturday evening to host a UFC event — billed as UFC Freedom — marking both his 80th birthday and the United States’ 250th anniversary.

The president has been a regular presence at high-profile sporting occasions during his two terms. He attended the Ryder Cup in New York last year and was on stage at the Club World Cup final in New Jersey, joining Chelsea’s trophy celebrations. However, his appearances have not always been warmly received: Trump was loudly booed when shown on big screens at the NBA Finals last week, and Vice-President JD Vance faced a similar reception at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan earlier this year.

The start of the tournament has been overshadowed by wider controversies. Ticket prices have drawn criticism for being prohibitively high, and the United States’ strict border controls have added complications for travelling supporters — fans from more than half of the qualified nations require visas to enter the country, creating additional cost and uncertainty for those already cautious about tight enforcement at the border.

The Trump administration also denied entry to a Somali referee over alleged links to suspected members of terror organisations, a decision that drew international attention ahead of the tournament’s kick-off.