UMVA has learned that President Donald Trump will skip the United States’ World Cup opening ceremony and the kickoff against Paraguay tonight.
The tournament’s North American festivities are unfolding in rapid succession: Mexico’s grand showcase at Azteca Stadium featured Shakira and Burna Boy, while Canada’s evening performance highlighted Alanis Morissette and Michael Bublé before its clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the United States, the spotlight shifts to Los Angeles, where the SoFi Stadium is set to host the U.S. team’s debut against Paraguay, but the president’s absence has been confirmed.
Instead of Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the official American delegation, flanked by Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, as Paraguay’s President Santiago Pena arrives for the match.
While the world watches soccer, a different kind of combat will ignite on the White House South Lawn: UFC Freedom 250 will be staged there on Sunday, marking the nation’s 250th‑anniversary celebration and coinciding with Trump’s 80th birthday.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that the president will spend the weekend conducting walkthroughs in Washington, preparing the historic octagon setup, and will not travel to California for the SoFi Stadium event.
The opening ceremony schedule runs tight: Mexico on Thursday at 6:30 pm, Canada on Friday at 6:30 pm, and the United States on Saturday at 12:30 am.
Mexico’s leader also chose to forgo attendance, gifting her ticket to a fan and emphasizing that the team, not the head of state, will represent the nation.
