U.S. President Donald Trump is hosting the UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on June 14, 2026, on his 80th birthday. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters
President Donald Trump will not be in attendance when the United States opens its World Cup competition against Paraguay on Friday (June 12, 2026) in Inglewood, Calif.
That was confirmed by Andrew Giuliani, the CEO of the World Cup task force, in an interview with a radio station in the United Kingdom.
“He’s not going to end up attending the opening game,” Mr. Giuliani told TalkSport on Thursday (June 11, 2026). “As we’ve said, his scheduling is tight. But I know he’s going to be engaged throughout this World Cup.
He needs to be in Washington, D.C., later in the weekend. He is hosting the UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on Sunday (June 14), his 80th birthday.
While it is uncommon for a head of state from a host country to miss the nation’s World Cup opener, it is not unprecedented. President Claudia Sheinbaum of co-host Mexico was not in attendance on Thursday (June 11, 2026) when her nation defeated South Africa 2-0. The Mexican government held a contest to give away Sheinbaum’s seat.
The U.S. delegation will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin. The State Department confirmed their attendance in a news release earlier this week.
Mr. Giuliani, the son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, said he wasn’t sure when Mr. Trump would make an appearance.
“Having known President Trump for now 30 years, what I can tell you is: expect the unexpected. Always expect a cliffhanger with him,” Mr. Giuliani said. “Throughout the course of this tournament, it wouldn’t surprise me if we see him engage more and more with the World Cup.”
A sports fan, Mr. Trump has attended several big events while president, including Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden earlier this week. He was met with a chorus of boos.
Published – June 12, 2026 08:28 pm IST
