Trump wishes U.S. Men’s National Team good luck ahead of FIFA World Cup opener
OAN Staff Sophia Flores
3:40 PM – Friday, June 12, 2026
Ahead of Friday’s opening match, President Donald Trump spoke to the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) over speaker phone, wishing the players good luck as they begin their 2026 World Cup run.
On Thursday, Andrew Giuliani, the Executive Director of the White House’s Task Force for the World Cup, called the president while in the presence of the USMNT’s head coach, Mauricio Pochettino, and the entire 26-man roster.
“I’m standing in front of 26 champions and a great coach… They’re ready to go and run through a wall,” Giuliani stated before handing the phone to Coach Pochettino.
“I just called to say you’re a fantastic guy, a fantastic coach,” Trump said. “I think you’ve got a real good chance of going all the way.”
Pochettino, who was standing next to the USMNT captain Tim Ream, then thanked the president for his kind words.
“Thank you so much for your support, Mr. President,” he stated. “We’re going to do everything [you proud] and all the people here in this country.”
The U.S. is set to take on Paraguay in its World Cup opener.
The match, which will commence at the temporarily renamed Los Angeles Stadium, formally known as SoFi Stadium, marks the first time the team will be playing the tournament on home soil since 1994.
The furthest the U.S. men’s team has advanced in the World Cup was a third-place finish in 1930. In the modern era, the USMNT reached the quarterfinals in 2002 before losing to Germany.
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