Famous faces including David Beckham and Tom Cruise have already turned up to watch matches at this summer’s World Cup, but Donald Trump has so far been notably absent.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup began on June 11 and runs until July 19, when the final is scheduled to be played at MetLife Stadium in New York New Jersey. Trump is still expected to present the trophy to the champions on the last day of the tournament.
In the weeks before kickoff, Trump had spoken enthusiastically about the competition and its arrival in the US, while his administration also leaned heavily into the event through a White House task force led by Andrew Giuliani.
Despite that, he has yet to appear at any of the matches.
There was at least one obvious reason for missing the first weekend of action. The following evening, a major UFC event was held on the White House lawn, staged to celebrate both the president’s 80th birthday and the 250th anniversary of American independence.
Still, that does not explain every date on the schedule, and questions have been raised over why he has not taken in a single World Cup match yet.
Andrew Giuliani, who leads the White House’s World Cup taskforce, offered a vague explanation when speaking to The Telegraph.
“I know he’s got a couple of international trips that he has planned as well as well as Independence Day, so the only thing I’ll tell you about my boss, and I’ve known him for, heck, 30 years, and he’s kind of like an uncle figure to me, he likes a good cliffhanger, right?
“He likes to leave people watching, so all I can tell you is ‘keep tuned in’, and I’m excited to see what the next steps are.”
A separate source told the same outlet that the tournament is not currently a major focus for Trump, who has been preoccupied with his administration’s July 4 celebrations and a packed domestic and international schedule.
“The president is preoccupied with the US’s July 4 celebrations,” the insider said.
“The World Cup just isn’t on his radar at the moment. He will give the trophy at the final, but I don’t think we will see him before then. It’s possible he’ll go to a semi-final, but only if the US get that far.”
Trump has also made waves around the tournament for his administration’s hardline approach to visas, border security and match-day planning, even as officials have sought to project the event as a major success for the United States.
As for whether he will make an appearance before the final, the answer remains the same for now: maybe, but don’t count on a confirmation just yet.