Donald Trump 'May Not Attend' World Cup Matches Involving English-Speaking Teams

He joined in April 2024, having previously worked at VAVEL as Deputy Editor-in-Chief, where he produced a variety of content, including pieces from press conferences and games. He also won an award for his role as lead editor for the Women's Football section of the online newspaper.

Covering football all across Europe, he has worked at stadiums such as Anfield, Old Trafford, and Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park, as well as having reported at both the 2023 men's and women's Champions League finals in Eindhoven and Istanbul.

He is infatuated with every aspect of football, but likes other sports as well, being an avid coffee-desperate Buffalo Bills supporter from across the pond and a darts' newbie. Sign in to your GiveMeSport account While he put himself front and centre during the buildup to the 2026 World Cup, Donald Trump hasn't been seen at a match yet since the showpiece tournament began on June 11 - and now there is a new reason for him to avoid fixtures involving four English-speaking teams for the remainder of the competition.

The US president was on course to be one of the most talked-about figures across the USA, Canada and Mexico for quite some time, given the context of entry issues, political tensions with Iran, and his push to advance some of his more controversial policies through the vehicle of sport.

However, Trump has gone somewhat AWOL in recent days. Many football fans and neutrals alike would argue that’s a good thing, and now one explanation for his sudden disappearance has been put forward.

US sports protocol mean that one of the 2026 World Cup second group-stage game's could go on for hours due to temporary suspensions.

According to the Mirror, the 80-year-old 'may not attend' a World Cup match involving an English-speaking team, after brutal fan chants linking the president to his old friend Jeffrey Epstein went viral. Concern is understood to be so high that questions are being asked about whether the US leader will present the trophy at the July 19 final, amid fears over what supporters could sing should he appear.

What's more, White House officials are claimed to be attempting to shield Trump from the hostility on the terraces, particularly from fans of Scotland, England, Australia, and New Zealand. A source said:

"There isn't a fan alive who doesn't know how fragile Trump's ego is. In recent months, he has had to contend with widespread booing whenever he attends major sporting events in America, but this is another level entirely.

"New Yorkers were furious when he turned up at the recent Knicks basketball game. But World Cup supporters are taking it to a whole new level, linking Trump to his friendship with Epstein and to his appearance in Epstein-related files."

The source concluded: "His staff are in crisis mode trying to prevent the President from being exposed to the chants in person, and that includes avoiding matches involving English-speaking teams."

Lead broadcasters have already been made aware of the chants being heard at matches, perhaps to ensure they are ready to muffle them like they do anti-Keir Starmer songs at the Darts and in the Premier League.

But they are unlikely to stop fully, with supporters drawing attention to Trump's long-documented friendship with Epstein, the pedophile who died in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.

The two nations could meet later in the tournament.

The pair moved into the same social circles throughout the 1980s and 1990s and were photographed together on numerous occasions. In a 2002 interview with New York magazine, Trump described Epstein as a "terrific guy" and said he was "a lot of fun to be with". The president has since sought to distance himself from his former friend, saying the pair fell out years before Epstein's criminal convictions and insisting he barred him from Mar-a-Lago.

The issue has returned to the political spotlight because of continuing controversy surrounding the release of Epstein-related court documents and investigative files. Trump's name, along with those of numerous public figures, has appeared in released records.