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Former U.S. President Donald Trump reached out to the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) coach, Mauricio Pochettino, ahead of their World Cup 2026 opening match against Paraguay on Tuesday evening.

According to Andrew Giuliani, the head of the White House World Cup Task Force, Trump will not attend the encounter at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles due to a scheduling conflict. The 47th President of the United States instead placed a phone call to Pochettino to motivate the team and share his optimistic outlook on their World Cup campaign.

In a conversation recorded on video and shared on the USMNT’s social media, Trump said, “I just called to say you’re a fantastic guy and a fantastic coach. I know all about your record and your success, and I know how great the players are.”

He concluded with a confident message about the team’s chances, adding, “I think you have a really good chance of going all the way. So I just want to wish you a lot of luck.”

Pochettino responded appreciatively, saying, “Thank you so much for your support, Mr President, and we are going to do everything to make you proud and all the people here in this country.”

The USA will commence their World Cup 2026 journey against Paraguay at the SoFi Stadium, home to NFL sides the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers. The teams last met in a friendly in November 2025, which ended 2–1 in favour of the USA with goals scored by Folarin Balogun, Giovanni Reyna, and Alex Arce.

Despite Trump’s absence from the stands, Paraguay’s President Santiago Pena has confirmed he will attend to cheer for his national side.

This opening clash features the highest and lowest ranked teams in Group D — the USA currently sit 17th in the FIFA world rankings, while Paraguay occupy 41st position. Nevertheless, Paraguay enter the match in stronger recent form, having won three of their last five fixtures, compared to two victories for the Americans over the same span.

Data analysts at Opta Analyst have given Pochettino’s team a 40% chance of victory, while Paraguay have a 33% likelihood of winning, setting the stage for an evenly balanced contest in Los Angeles.

All eyes will be on Christian Pulisic, as fans eagerly await to see if he can inspire the USA to an opening match triumph under the lights at SoFi Stadium.