Secretary of State Marco Rubio and California Governor Gavin Newsom are scheduled to meet at the 2026 World Cup game in California on Friday. They will be seated in the same box during the United States’ opening match against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium. Despite their differing political affiliations, the event is expected to bring together fans from various backgrounds.
An official familiar with Newsom’s plans stated, "The Governor is there to support Team USA. Any frame-moggery that occurs will be purely incidental." Their meeting may indicate future interactions, as both are considered potential rivals for the 2028 presidential election. Recently, Rubio expressed support for Vice President JD Vance should he run in 2028, with polling suggesting Vance has higher name recognition but also higher unfavorability ratings compared to Rubio.
President Donald Trump has suggested a Vance-Rubio ticket as a potential pairing for the election, stating, "Sounds like a good ticket. I think it sounds like presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate."
The World Cup is being co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, with matches taking place in eleven major U.S. cities, including Los Angeles and Seattle. The tournament is expected to draw millions of international tourists. The U.S. will play at least three games in June, including the match against Paraguay on Friday and additional games against Australia and Turkey later in the month.