Trump Encourages USMNT Before World Cup Opener Against Paraguay

Before the United States men's national team took the pitch for their 2026 World Cup opener against Paraguay, they received a phone call from President Donald Trump.

The president calling the USMNT has become quite the tradition over the past decade. In 2014, Barack Obama congratulated Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard on their run to the Round of 16. Eight years later, Joe Biden was on FaceTime with former coach Gregg Berhalter to give them some words of encouragement.

Fast forward to June 2026, and Trump called U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino to let him know that he believes his squad can go "all the way" in this year's tournament. This brief chat was shared on the USMNT's social media page.

"I just called to say you're a fantastic guy, a fantastic coach," Trump told Pochettino. "I know about your record, your success and how great the players are. I think you've got a really good chance of going all the way so I just wish you a lot of luck."

The USMNT's captain, Tim Ream, was the only player shown in this video. He didn't seem to have much of a reaction when Trump spoke glowingly about the team.

It's unclear if Trump stayed on the phone a bit longer since the video ended abruptly. Either way, it sounds like the president of the United States wanted to instill some belief.

The road ahead for the USMNT.

First up for the United States is a showdown with Paraguay this Friday. It's imperative that Pochettino's squad takes care of business because the group stage won't get any easier.

The U.S. will also square off against Australia on June 19 and Türkiye on June 25. On paper, that last matchup should be their toughest test for Group D.

Do you think the United States will shock their fans and make a deep run in the World Cup?

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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 7:00 PM.