2026 World Cup: President Donald Trump wishes USMNT luck ahead of first game

The USMNT is ready for the 2026 World Cup. After months of training, the team will take the pitch Friday, looking for a win over Paraguay. The men’s national team should have plenty of support during the contest, as the World Cup is being hosted by the United States for the first time in 32 years. In an attempt to further motivate the players, President Donald Trump called the team ahead of its first game, wishing them luck and letting them know he thinks the team can go “all the way.” Trump, who spoke to USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino, called Pochettino a “fantastic guy, a fantastic coach.” Trump then complimented the players before saying, “I think you’ve got a really good chance of going all the way.” That’s quite a bit of pressure to put on the men’s national team, which hasn’t had a ton of success at the World Cup in its history. Other than the inaugural World Cup in 1930 — where the USMNT finished third — the men’s national team has reached the quarterfinals just one other time (2002). During the last three World Cups in which they’ve qualified, the men’s national team has been eliminated in the Round of 16. In the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup, Trump has worked closely with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, leading to Trump receiving the first FIFA Peace Prize award ahead of the event. That decision drew criticism from Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness, who questioned whether FIFA remained politically neutral when giving the award to Trump. Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the ACLU put out a travel advisory to those planning to come to the United States for the event. The advisory cited “potential human rights abuses” as a reason fans should “ exercise caution ” while in the country. In its advisory, the ACLU warned of possible “denial of entry” into the United States, something one official and one player have already experienced in the lead-up to the games.