When the World Cup kicked off in the U.S. this summer, most people figured Donald Trump would be front and center—maybe even working the crowd like he does at his rallies. Instead, the former president has been nowhere in sight. Not at the opener in Los Angeles, not in Seattle when the team played Australia, and not in the second L.A. match against Turkey. The U.S. squad has already punched its ticket to the knockout rounds, yet Trump hasn’t caught a single game live. It’s raising eyebrows, especially since he seemed so invested in the tournament before it started.
Back in December, Trump practically stole the show at the World Cup draw in Washington, D.C. FIFA even handed him their first-ever “Peace Prize,” and he and FIFA president Gianni Infantino looked thick as thieves, swapping handshakes and smiles at the Oval Office and Mar-a-Lago. He’d been dropping hints about the tournament for months, name-dropping it at a pre-inauguration rally last year like it was a done deal he’d be there. The man loves a spectacle, and this was supposed to be America’s moment on the global soccer stage. So where is he?
Trump’s absence feels even weirder when you stack it up against past host leaders. Bill Clinton showed up to the 1994 opener in Chicago, giving a speech that got overshadowed by Diana Ross’s infamous missed penalty kick. Vladimir Putin was in the stands for Russia’s first game in 2018, and Qatar’s emir did the same four years ago. It’s almost tradition for the host country’s top official to at least make an appearance. But Trump? He skipped the U.S. opener to host an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the White House lawn instead—complete with a cake for his 80th birthday and America’s 250th. Priorities, right?
Political strategist Federico de Jesus, who worked for Barack Obama, says this isn’t out of character for Trump. “He’s always been picky about which events he attends,” de Jesus told BBC Sport. “He’s not showing up for regular-season games—he waits for the Super Bowl, the big-ticket moments where the cameras are rolling. The World Cup final? That’s where you’ll see him.” It’s not just about soccer, either. Trump has a soft spot for UFC; he’s cultivated that relationship for years, even hosting fighters at the White House multiple times. If the tournament’s climax lines up with a ratings goldmine, don’t be shocked if he suddenly materializes, waving to the crowd like he’s been there all along.
The bigger question might be what his no-show really signals. Is it a snub to soccer, a sport that’s still fighting for mainstream love in the U.S.? Or is it just Trump being Trump—showing up only when it serves his brand? Either way, the clock’s ticking. The U.S. team is still in the hunt, and if they keep winning, the final could be the one game he can’t resist. Until then, the most powerful seat in the stadium stays empty.
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