Here’s Donald Trump’s full message to USMNT on call ahead of World Cup opener originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Friday’s World Cup match for the United States’ men’s national team has been a long time coming.
Ever since North America was pinned as the home of the 2026 World Cup, anticipation has been building for the largest iteration of the tournament ever seen. Expectations will be high for USMNT, and pressure is building — especially after a conversation with the president.
Donald Trump spoke on the phone to the U.S. national squad prior to the team’s opener against Paraguay, offering some good luck to the Americans in a brief clip shared to social media.
Here’s what Trump said to the United States’ squad ahead of their 2026 World Cup appearance.
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Donald Trump phone call to USMNT
On Friday, the official USMNT social media account shared footage from Thursday night, when President Trump called the squad.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino first took the phone to talk to the president, who said he called to say he heard Pochettino is a “fantastic guy.”
“I hear all about your record, your success, how great the players are. I think you’ve got a really good chance of going all the way,” Trump said. “So I just want to wish you a lot of luck.”
Pochettino responded by saying he and the team will be looking to make Americans proud in the tournament.
“Thank you so much for your support, Mr. President,” Pochettino said. “We are going to do everything to make you proud and all the people here in this country.”
Captain Tim Ream was also visible in the clip, while the full team was said to be listening to Trump’s words.
Last night, we received a message of support from POTUS ahead of our World Cup journey. pic.twitter.com/MVPITGldtS
— U.S. Soccer Men’s National Team (@USMNT) June 12, 2026
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