Donald Trump will miss America’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Paraguay, Andrew Giuliani says. Here’s why | Today’s news
President Donald Trump will not attend the United States’ World Cup opener against Paraguay on Friday in Inglewood, California, Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the World Cup Task Force, confirmed during an interview with a UK radio station.
During an interview with TalkSport on Thursday, Giuliani stated, “He won’t be in the opening game after all. Like we said, his schedule is tight. But I know he’ll be engaged during this World Cup.”
He is expected to be in Washington, DC, later this weekend to host UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on Sunday, which also coincides with his 80th birthday, according to Reuters.
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Donald Trump is missing the USA’s opener against Paraguay due to a busy schedule, as confirmed by Andrew Giuliani, who said Trump will be involved during the tournament.
In Trump’s absence, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the U.S. delegation to the game, along with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
Extensive security measures have been implemented for the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, including crowd control and anti-drone systems, as authorities strive to ensure a highly secure environment in all host cities.
It is unusual for a head of state from the host country to miss the opening game of the World Cup, but it has happened before, such as the absence of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum from her country’s game.
Andrew Giuliani suggested that, given his history, Trump could become more involved in the World Cup as the tournament progresses, despite his initial absence from the opening game.
Although it is unusual for a host nation’s head of state to miss the country’s opening World Cup match, it has happened before. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum did not attend her country’s 2-0 win over South Africa on Thursday, and the Mexican government instead held a competition to allocate her reserved seat.
The United States delegation to the game will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin. Their participation was confirmed by the Foreign Office in a statement earlier this week.
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Giuliani, the son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, said he wasn’t sure when Trump might attend an event.
“Having known President Trump for 30 years, I can tell you: expect the unexpected. Always expect a cliffhanger with him. I wouldn’t be surprised over the course of this tournament to see him get more and more involved in the World Cup,” Giuliani said.
Trump, a sports enthusiast, has attended many high-profile events during his presidency, including Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden earlier this week, where he was met with loud boos from some of the crowd.
U.S. security officials are taking extensive precautions for the World Cup
Officials said World Cup matches in the United States were as secure as “can be”, with extensive measures in place from crowd control to anti-drone systems at every venue. But authorities continue to express concern over potential lone wolf attacks, according to AFP.
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As the tournament began its biggest edition yet, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, Department of Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin said fans could expect a “very safe” environment in the 11 US host cities where the games are being held.
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Mullin told “Fox and Friends” on Thursday, hours before the nearly six-week tournament began: “We feel like we’re as safe as we can be. But we can’t control, you know, the lone wolf. You have a problem with what we call the soft zone, which is before you get into the safety ring, which we’re very concerned about.”
Mullin went on to say that local and state law enforcement will “flex” their presence in host areas to keep the crowd safe, adding that “the games will be very safe.”
