07/06/2026
BREAKING: Trump says he personally urged FIFA to reconsider a red card, and the backlash from the global soccer community has been swift.
Trump acknowledged during a Monday Oval Office speech that he asked FIFA to review the red card issued to U.S. striker Folarin Balogun during the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. FIFA later lifted Balogun's one-match suspension, allowing him to play in the Round of 16 matchup against Belgium.
Rather than downplaying his role, Trump celebrated it. He insisted the challenge "wasn't even an infraction," described the referee as "very suspect," and praised the FIFA official he contacted, saying that official's respect for him had increased "tenfold" because of his efforts to promote soccer in the United States.
Critics around the football world responded immediately. The Belgian football federation and manager Rudi Garcia argued that FIFA had crossed an important line, while UEFA warned that the ruling appeared to give the United States special treatment, raising concerns about the tournament's integrity.
Opponents say the episode follows a familiar pattern: when a referee makes a decision Trump dislikes, the official is labeled "suspect." When a rule stands in his way, pressure is applied until the outcome changes. This time, they argue, the events are unfolding during one of the world's biggest sporting competitions.
Belgium has now formally appealed FIFA's decision, turning what began as a dispute over a single red card into a broader debate over whether major institutions can resist political pressure when Trump seeks a different result.