Trump is skipping US opening match of World Cup and this is what he's doing instead

Donald Trump will not be attending the first US match in the World Cup.

The 2026 World Cup is underway, hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada, with each of the host nations staging their own opening ceremonies for their fist game of the tournament.

Normally, a figurehead for the host nation appears at the first match, with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani being present for Qatar's first game against Ecuador back in 2022, while Vladimir Putin was there to see Russia play Saudi Arabia in 2018.

But it seems that US president Donald Trump will break with this tradition, with no plans to attend the first US match of the tournament.

The US national team will face off against Paraguay at the Los Angeles Stadium on Friday, but Trump will not be there on Friday night.

Trump in attendance at the NBA Finals (SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)

Instead, the president has plans to attend a different sporting event.

This will be hosted at the White House on Saturday evening, and is a UFC event which has been called UFC Freedom.

Images from the White House have shown the erection of the arena for this event.

'UFC Freedom' has been staged to mark Trump's 80th birthday as well as the 250th anniversary since the founding of the USA.

The stage for the showcase has been constructed on the South Lawn at the White House.

Instead of Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been scheduled to head up the US delegation at their team's first match of the World Cup.

Trump's presence at major sporting events has not always seen him get a positive reception.

Claudia Sheinbaum gave away her ticket to Mexico's first game to a fan (Mariana Maytorena/ObturadorMX/Getty Images)

Crowds at the NBA Finals erupted into boos last week as Trump appeared on the jumbotron, with the noise of the crowd even nearly drowning out the US national anthem as it was being sung.

Trump is not the only host nation leader who will not be attending their team's opening match however, though the other has given very different reasons for not attending.

This is Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, who was not present for Mexico's first match against South Africa, which saw the hosts claim a 2-0 victory.

Sheinbaum had previously promised to give away her ticket to the event, a promise she has since delivered on.

Giving it to a fan, Sheinbaum told reporters at a news conference: "They are the pride of Mexico. They will not represent the president, or the head of government, they will represent Mexico."