Trump Set to Miss World Cup Opener in Los Angeles — When Is World Cup Opening Ceremony
when is world cup opening ceremony is still a search many fans are making, but the sharper detail from Friday night is that President Donald Trump is not currently planning to attend the United States men’s national team’s opening World Cup match against Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California. The U.S. starts its tournament in California on Friday.
That absence would be unusual for a host nation leader at a men’s World Cup opening game. The State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio will attend with Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin.
Trump and the Los Angeles stadium
Trump has not publicly confirmed whether he will attend the USMNT opener in Los Angeles, but four people close to the planning for the tournament or familiar with his plans said they do not currently anticipate that he will be there. He is also expected to be in Washington, D.C., on Friday for some walk-throughs of the weekend’s UFC event.
That trip pattern fits a broader run of high-profile appearances since he returned to the White House. This week he attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City, where the crowd booed him.
Rubio, Duffy and Mullin attend
The State Department release on Wednesday laid out the federal delegation for the match and tied the game to the administration’s public framing of the tournament. It said the World Cup is a landmark moment for the Trump Administration and that it will showcase American leadership and hospitality to a global audience as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary.
On the margins of the match, Secretary Rubio will meet with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña to advance the U.S.-Paraguay strategic partnership spanning regional security, trade and investment, and emerging technology. That keeps the diplomatic side of the night in play even if Trump stays away from the stadium.
FIFA ties and past events
Trump’s relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino has grown stronger, and he received the FIFA Peace Prize at the World Cup draw in December. He has also attended the Super Bowl in New Orleans, UFC fights in Miami and New Jersey, the Daytona 500, the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia, the FIFA Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium and the U.S. Open men’s tennis final.
Friday’s match in Inglewood will go on without the president at the venue, but with Rubio, Duffy and Mullin in attendance and the Paraguay meeting scheduled on the margins. For readers tracking the opening night in California, that is the practical split: the U.S. opens its World Cup run, and the White House’s highest-profile face is expected elsewhere.
