Why Donald Trump won’t be at the USA’s first World Cup game after missing the opening ceremony
Donald Trump won’t be at the USA’s first World Cup game against Paraguay, after skipping the opening ceremony.
On Wednesday night, Mexico, one of the hosts, kicked off the tournament with an exciting 2-0 win over South Africa at the famous Estadio Azteca.
This summer, Mexico will host 13 matches, Canada will also host 13, and the USA will host the most — 78 games out of 104, including the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New York.
Canada’s first match is against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Toronto Stadium on Friday night. They’ll also play Qatar and Switzerland in Group B.
The USA will start their World Cup journey by playing Paraguay at the Los Angeles Stadium early Saturday morning. Paraguay’s president, Santiago Pena, will be there to watch, but President Trump won’t be. Instead, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with the Secretaries of Transportation and Homeland Security, will represent the US.
Trump also skipped the opening ceremony at Estadio Azteca on Wednesday, where Shakira and Burna Boy performed the official tournament song, “Dai Dai.”
While most of the US is focused on the World Cup, Trump is turning his attention to a different sport — UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on Sunday night. This special event features a UFC octagon set up on the South Lawn to celebrate 250 years of US independence and Trump’s 80th birthday.
Trump has a long history with the UFC, having hosted events at his casinos early on, and he’s close friends with UFC president Dana White. White has even spoken at Trump rallies in the past.
Because of his many duties, Trump won’t be able to leave Washington to watch the soccer game on Saturday.
Trump isn’t the only leader missing their country’s first match. Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum also did not attend her team’s win over South Africa, but for a very different reason. She gave her ticket to a fan, keeping a promise she made before the tournament started.
“They are the pride of Mexico. They represent Mexico, not the president or the government,” Sheinbaum said when she handed over her ticket.
Back to the UFC, lightweight champion Ilia Topuria will defend his title against interim champ Justin Gaethje in the main event. The two have been building up tension in recent weeks.
In the co-main event, Alex Pereira aims to make history by becoming the first-ever three-division champion as he faces Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title.
The card will also include popular fighters like Sean O’Malley, Michael Chandler, Derrick Lewis, and controversial Josh Hokit.