US President Donald Trump decided not to attend the match between the United States and Paraguay, which opened the US team’s campaign in the 2026 World Cup, also after having missed the historic World Cup opening ceremony.

Mexico, one of the tournament’s host countries, opened the 2026 World Cup with an exciting 2–0 victory over South Africa at the historic Azteca Stadium.

The United States hosts most of the 2026 World Cup matches

Mexico will host 13 matches during the 2026 World Cup, while Canada will host another 13 matches.

The United States, however, will host the largest share of matches, with 78 out of 104 games, including the final scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New York.

Who represented the United States in the US vs Paraguay match?

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña traveled to California to attend the match, but US President Donald Trump was not present.

Instead, the official US delegation was represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

This decision comes after Trump also chose not to attend the first 2026 World Cup opening ceremony held at Azteca Stadium, which featured Shakira and Burna Boy performing the tournament’s official song “Dai Dai.”

Why did Trump not attend the US vs Paraguay match?

At a time when a large segment of Americans is focused on the start of the 2026 World Cup, Trump is instead focusing on another sporting event, the UFC Freedom 250 tournament scheduled to take place at the White House on Sunday evening.

This historic event includes the installation of an official UFC ring on the South Lawn of the White House, in celebration of 250 years since the independence of the United States and on the occasion of Trump’s 80th birthday.

Over the past years, Trump has been closely associated with the UFC, as he hosted its events in his casinos in Atlantic City during the organization’s early years, and he has also attended several of its major events in recent years.

He also has a strong personal relationship with the organization’s president and CEO Dana White, who has participated in several of Trump’s election rallies and delivered speeches at them.

According to reports, Trump has multiple commitments related to the UFC event at the White House, which prevents him from leaving the capital and attending the football match on Saturday.

Trump is expected to attend matches later in the 2026 World Cup.

Mexico’s President misses the 2026 World Cup opening

Trump is not the only political leader who skipped his national team’s opening match. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum also decided not to attend her team’s match against South Africa, but for very different reasons.

Sheinbaum chose to give her ticket to a fan, after having previously promised to do so before the start of the 2026 World Cup.

During a press conference after handing over the ticket to one of the supporters, she said: “They are the pride of Mexico. They will not represent the president or the head of government, but they will represent Mexico.”

Trump.

The fight between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje headlines the UFC card at the White House

The lightweight champion Ilia Topuria will defend his title against interim champion Justin Gaethje in the main event of the UFC card held at the White House, following weeks of tension and verbal exchanges between the two fighters.

In the co main event, former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira aims to make history by becoming the first fighter to win titles in three different weight classes when he faces Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title.

The card also features several notable names, including former bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley, as well as American fighters Michael Chandler and Derrick Lewis, along with the controversial fighter Josh Hokit.