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President Donald Trump spoke with U.S. Men's National Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino and his players ahead of their FIFA World Cup opener -Credit:Annabelle Gordon/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Donald Trump delivered a message of encouragement to Mauricio Pochettino's U.S. Men's National Team ahead of their FIFA World Cup tournament opener against Paraguay.
The 2026 World Cup is now underway. Following Mexico's curtain-raiser on Thursday and Canada's on Friday afternoon, the USMNT is gearing up to face Paraguay in its Group D opener at SoFi Stadium, home of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.
Pochettino's squad will subsequently take on Australia and Turkey in the group stage before turning their attention to the knockout rounds. The U.S. enters the tournament boasting one of its most formidable rosters in recent memory, with players spread across Europe's elite leagues and MLS, as per The Mirror US.
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Pochettino, Ream, and the rest of the USMNT were introduced to Trump by Andrew Giuliani -Credit:X @USMNT
The USMNT possesses considerable attacking firepower through Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, and Malik Tillman. Meanwhile, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams bring stability in midfield, while Sergino Dest and Antonee Robinson provide width as wing-backs. Nevertheless, questions persist regarding a lack of depth in defense.
Following his hostile reception at Madison Square Garden during Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Trump will be absent from SoFi Stadium for the USMNT's opening game. Instead, three of his closest allies will be seated in a suite alongside California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Although he won't be present at the Los Angeles match, Trump delivered a message of encouragement to Pochettino and the USMNT. Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House World Cup Task Force, contacted the 79-year-old and gave him the opportunity to share his support.
"Mr. President, Andrew Giuliani, how are you? Well, I'm standing in front of 26 champions and a great coach, Coach Pochettino, right now," Giuliani said. "They're ready to go and run through a wall. So I'm going to give you over to Coach Pochettino and the captain (Tim Ream).
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Trump then expressed his backing and made a bold forecast: "Well, I just got to say you're a fantastic guy, a fantastic coach, and you're all about your record and your success, and I know how great the players are. I think you've got a really good chance of going all the way."
He added, "I just want to wish you a lot of luck."
Pochettino listened to the message as he held his phone, "Thank you so much for your support, Mr. President. We are going to do everything to make proud, you and all the people here in this country."
Trump is anticipated to watch the USMNT at some stage during the competition and will almost certainly be involved in the World Cup Final, as he was during last year's Club World Cup Final.
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