Donald Trump is set to miss the United States’ 2026 World Cup opener against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium, with a cabinet delegation attending in his place. Reports link his absence partly to a planned UFC event in Washington D.C. and the hostile reception he received at the NBA Finals in New York this week. Coach Mauricio Pochettino, meanwhile, has called out what he sees as a dangerous disconnect in US soccer — a culture of arrogance that has not been earned through results, warning that belief and entitlement are not the same thing ahead of a home tournament.
