Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) are set to cross paths at the 2026 World Cup game in California on Friday.
Though they land on opposite sides of the political spectrum, the two men will sit in the same box during the United States’ opener against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium, as the FIFA matches bring together fans of every political stripe.
“The Governor is there to support Team USA. Any frame-moggery that occurs will be purely incidental,” an official familiar with Newsom’s plans told Politico.
Their meeting could be a window into future encounters, as Newsom and Rubio are both viewed as potential 2028 presidential rivals. In recent months, Rubio has confirmed he will back Vice President JD Vance if he runs in 2028. Polling indicates Vance holds an edge in name recognition, but has higher unfavorability ratings than Rubio.
President Donald Trump has floated a Vance-Rubio ticket as a “dream team.”
“Sounds like a good ticket,” the president said in May. “I think it sounds like presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate.”
The World Cup is being jointly hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19. In the U.S., the event will take place in eleven major host cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, and Seattle. The games are expected to attract millions of tourists from around the world.
FOUR FORMER PRESIDENTS UNITE WITH HOPEFUL MESSAGE AHEAD OF AMERICA 250
The tournament kicked off on Thursday evening, with Mexico pulling off a 2-0 victory over South Africa at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. South Korea also defeated Czechia 2-1 on Thursday.
The U.S. is expected to play at least three games in June. Friday’s game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood; a June 17 match against Australia at Seattle’s Lumen Field; and a June 25 match against Turkey also at SoFi Stadium.