Donald Trump to miss USA World Cup opening match as UFC call to come | Football | Sport

Donald Trump is reportedly not planning to attend the USMNT’s first World Cup fixture against Paraguay on Friday in Los Angeles. A press release from the State Department confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin will be attending.

As things stand, according to The Athletic, it is currently anticipated that Trump will not be at SoFi Stadium for that game and as such the USA’s opening ceremony. However, it is has also been stated that those plans could change. Trump is however, expected to be in Washington D.C. on Friday to attend some walk-throughs of the weekend’s UFC event, but that could also change.

The tournament officially kicks off roughly 24 hours earlier than the USA’s first game with co-host Mexico taking on South Africa. Though not publicly confirming as such, President Trump was expected to be present for the USA’s opener but that currently looks unlikely.

Earlier this week, Trump made an appearance at Madison Square Garden for the New York Nicks’ NBA Finals clash with the San Antonio Spurs. Preparations for the huge game were heavily impacted with Trump also booed when he appeared on the big screen during the national anthem.

The 79-year-old was one of many controversial topics discussed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during a press conference on Wednesday. He also spoke about backlash to Somali referee Omar Artan being denied entry to the US and Iran’s visa issues.

The build up to the biggest World Cup ever has been particularly controversial but the football will take centre stage very soon. England’s campaign starts next Wednesday against Croatia before facing Ghana and Panama later this month.

The Three Lions have beaten New Zealand and Costa Rica in pre-World Cup friendlies with their build up to the latter heavily disrupted. Kick-off was delayed for an hour following a major thunderstorm with lightning strikes also appearing near the Inter&Co Stadium.

Such delays are expected throughout the tournament with last summer’s Club World Cup an indication of how long those could be. The heat stateside is also likely to be an issue for some nations with mandatory hydration breaks in place.