The US State Department reported that Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, will travel to Los Angeles to represent the Donald Trump Government in the opening match of the US team at the 2026 World Cup.
Through a statement published this June 10, the Department indicated that Rubio will not travel alone, as he will lead a delegation made up of Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, and Senator Markwayne Mullin.
Marco Rubio will remain in Los Angeles until Saturday, June 13 and will also take advantage of the visit to meet with the president of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, who will attend his team’s debut against the USA.
The meeting will seek to “promote the strategic partnership between the United States and Paraguay, which encompasses regional security, trade and investment, as well as emerging technologies,” according to the statement.
At the moment it is unknown if Trump himself, who usually attends sporting events, will attend a match of the American team, which will face Australia in Seattle on June 19 and to Türkiye six days later, also in Los Angeles.
Both cities are considered democratic strongholds and, in addition, sanctuary cities, which is why they choose not to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, a policy that the president has harshly condemned.
The World Cup will start just a few days after the Republican was loudly booed when he attended one of the matches of the NBA final at Madison Square Garden in New York, another Democratic-leaning city.