Donald Trump infamously branded a US ski star a loser for his protest, and now US soccer team captain is changing his tactics to avoid a similar fate

The 2026 Olympics went quite well for America, but let’s be real: it was marred by a lot of controversy, not just from athletes themselves but also from President Donald Trump. With the FIFA World Cup 2026 on the horizon, per the Daily Mail, US men’s soccer team captain Tyler Adams is already careful so he doesn’t add to the controversies already surrounding the World Cup.

It’s not like he has directly addressed the consequences, but his words suggest he doesn’t want to anger Trump, as some Olympic athletes did previously. During the 2026 Olympics, some political issues, especially those related to ICE, reportedly prompted some athletes to protest. This includes Hunter Hess, who said, “Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the US.”

As a result, President Donald Trump got angry and labeled the athlete a ‘real loser.’ While that was quite sharp, Adams seems proud of representing America in soccer. He seems to focus only on the positives of the sport, believing that soccer is one of the leading sports, is found ‘everywhere,’ and will bring people, including Americans, closer together.

He said what’s happening in the world right now is “crazy” but soccer’s influence might connect people

It looks like Adams poured his heart out in the light of what’s happening in the world right now in an interview with Fox News Digital. He appears to be saying that times are crazy right now, and while some Olympic athletes weren’t as proud of representing the US flag, the captain seems quite enthusiastic about it. His exact words were, “Soccer brings everybody together no matter the situation. That’s something I gravitated towards when I wanted to play the sport. The diversity in it.”

Yes, he does sound concerned about what’s happening, but despite all that, Tyler is all in for the World Cup. “I think that times in the world are obviously crazy right now. When there’s a lot of uncertainty in the world, there’s nothing like a World Cup where people can close their eyes for a second and really experience something special. So, again, I think that success we have can really move the needle in how the sport grows in our country and I’m hoping we can do that.”

Apart from this, skyrocketing ticket prices are another concern that might shatter Tyler’s hopes of connecting people, even if they want to. Well, Washington lawmakers are looking into FIFA, so a price reduction could be expected. Tyler, on the other hand, seems to make a point, but let’s see if his carefulness towards representing America puts him in the good books of the president, unlike some Olympic athletes.