World Cup 2026: Why has US President Donald Trump stayed away from the World Cup?

United States President Donald Trump was expected by many to regularly feature at the World Cup.

But he is yet to attend a single match, despite the United States team winning two of their three group games and qualifying for the knockout stages.

So is it a surprise? Why may he have stayed away? And will he appear before the final? BBC Sport takes a closer look.

“My fellow Americans, citizens of the world, the United States is honoured to play host to this magnificent celebration. The World Cup has captured the imagination of our country, as has the game itself in the last few years…So I welcome all who have come from all countries and all continents and all who will watch these games in the United States for the next 30 days.”

Those were the words of President Bill Clinton on 17 June, 1994 at Soldier Field in Chicago when attending the opening match of the first World Cup to be held in the United States.

The day is remembered more for Diana Ross’ missed ‘penalty kick’ during the pre-match festivities than Clinton’s address, but his presence now seems more notable.

Because 32 years on, the country is once again staging the event, and yet, with the halfway point of the tournament passed, the current president has stayed away.

Earlier this month, Trump hailed the number of tickets sold by Fifa, labelling it “the most successful World Cup they’ve ever had”, and reinforcing the widely held view that he would be a highly visible and enthusiastic presence.

After all, in the build-up, the tournament had seemed very important to him. He even referenced it, external in an address at a rally staged on the eve of his presidential inauguration early last year.

And Trump then played a central role at the draw in Washington DC in December, where he was awarded Fifa’s inaugural Peace Prize by the governing body’s president Gianni Infantino.

The two men have forged a close relationship in recent years, with Infantino welcomed to both the Oval Office and Trump’s Florida residence Mar-a-Lago.

Trump has also been a regular presence at several other major sports events in the US during his second term, from the Super Bowl, and last summer’s Club World Cup final, to the opening day of golf’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage.

However, when co-hosts the US played their opening match v Paraguay on 12 June in Los Angeles, following on from an opening ceremony, the president was notable by his absence, with Secretary of State Mark Rubio travelling from Washington instead.

It appeared that Trump had prioritised an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event on the White House lawn two days later, celebrating his 80th and America’s 250th birthday.