Donald Trump described the World Cup referee who ejected the USA’s Folarin Balogun as “suspect” prior to intervening to have the striker’s one-match suspension lifted.
Addressing the media from the White House on Monday, the President firmly stated he felt no need to apologize for his unprecedented action, clarifying that he never explicitly requested FIFA President Gianni Infantino to reverse Balogun’s ban during their phone conversation.
His actions have ignited controversy, prompting Belgium, the USA’s upcoming challenger, to file a last-minute appeal seeking to reinstate the ban, just hours before their game in Seattle.
Trump, meanwhile, communicated to the Belgians that excluding Balogun from the World Cup last-16 matchup would amount to a “fixed” game, and he criticized Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, who issued the red card.
“Yes, I did speak with Gianni. I requested FIFA to review the situation,” Trump stated. “That’s the extent of my involvement. Believe me, I know what I’m doing. That wasn’t a foul. It wasn’t even a violation. It was simply two players running at full speed who collided with each other.”
‘You can’t properly place your foot on somebody else’s foot when you’re going full speed. No, these were two great athletes who got tangled up. And this referee, who is a little bit suspect – if you check his past. I don’t want to say that because I don’t like to create controversy, but very suspect. If you’d like, I’ll provide you with his past.’
Donald Trump has spoken out on his involvement in the Folarin Balogun red card drama
Trump said the referee who sent Balogun off, Brazilian Raphael Claus, had a ‘suspect past’
Trump insisted he didn’t force FIFA president Gianni Infantino to overturn the red card
Claus was once accused of match-fixing in 2023 in Brazil but was never charged with any wrongdoing and there is no suggestion of any type of allegation aimed at Claus in this World Cup.
‘Firstly, it wasn’t a foul,’ Trump added. ‘And then you have to look at the person who made the decision. The game tonight is going to be amazing. We are going to have a full team and Belgium is going to have a full team. And you know what, if they beat us they can be really proud.
‘This game would have had a big mark on it. The other way, if they beat us I would say it is rigged, just like the election was rigged in 2020. I think they made a brilliant decision, I thought the referee’s decision was horrible. Nobody talks about that. They talk about the red card like it was fine.’
Balogun, USA’s top scorer in the tournament with three goals, was given a straight red card during the USA’s 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last 32 – a decision at the time that was criticized for being wrong.
He tangled with Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic and his leg raked down Muharemovic’s calf while he was struggling for balance and jostling to win possession of the ball.
Trump continued: ‘He (Balogun) didn’t do anything wrong, and he’s our best player, or one of our best players, a very vital player and they gave him a red card.
‘I didn’t think it meant much. Then I started hearing that it means you can’t play in the next game, at least in the next game.
‘That’s one thing, to penalize somebody for the game. But how do you penalize them for a game that hasn’t been played yet? It’s very unfair. You can’t do that.’
Belgium have appealed to get USA striker Folarin Balogun re-banned for their last-16 game
Balogun was sent off for a tackle during their 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina
Trump insisted he didn’t force Infantino to make Balogun available.
‘I didn’t say “you have to do this”. Gianni is a smart, tough man and his stock is going through the roof,’ Trump said.
‘I didn’t know what the hell a red card was. When I found out I said “you gotta be kidding”. I said “wow, that’s a lot of power, that’s terrible”. But then I looked at his past and it wasn’t so great.
‘I didn’t tell him (Infantino) what to do, I can’t tell him what to do.’
Shortly after Trump spoke, Infantino released a statement on the growing backlash across the world.
‘Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues,’ Infantino said.
‘During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold.
‘I read the decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee when they are issued. Sometimes I am surprised by them. Sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree. What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them.
‘Whether we personally like a decision or not is irrelevant. Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of FIFA at all times.’
Trump praised Infantino after the red card was overturned and called him a ‘tough man’
Ironically, Balogun qualifies to play for the United States due to ‘birthright citizenship’ – a rule Trump has wanted to overturn.
His mother was stopped from boarding a flight out of the United States when she was heavily pregnant and Balogun was then born in Brooklyn, New York.
After FIFA kicked back Balogun’s ban on Sunday, Trump, who was awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize by Infantino last year, wrote on Truth Social: ‘Thank you to Fifa for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice! President DONALD J. TRUMP.’
Infantino was sat next to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick during the game in the San Francisco Bay where Balogun was sent off.
The United States are trying to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2002 by beating Belgium, with many considering Monday night’s game the biggest ever in US soccer.
Balogun and the US team face Belgium in Seattle on Monday night in a last-16 showdown
Trump is not expected to attend. Despite going to multiple major US sporting events since beginning his second term as President, he has not made it to a World Cup game yet.
He is, however, set to attend the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium with Infantino saying recently that he and Trump will hand the trophy over to the winner ‘together’.
Infantino, speaking to Fox before Trump’s call about Balogun’s red card, said: ‘We will be together with the president enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course, together.’