US President Donald Trump said he personally spoke with Gianni Infantino about the controversial red card shown to Team USA striker Folarin Balogun. Trump said he only asked FIFA to review the decision and did not tell anyone what the final outcome should be.
Trump says it was not a foul
According to Trump, he believed the incident was not a foul. He said it looked like two athletes running at full speed who simply crashed into each other and got tangled up. Trump said, "All I did was ask for a review because I didn't think it was a foul”, as reported by Fox News. He also said, "I didn't say, 'You have to do this.'"
Trump added that he cannot tell FIFA what to do and said the final decision was made by an independent committee, not by him. The decision immediately sparked a huge political and sporting controversy, with many people questioning whether outside influence played a role. Trump's comments were the first detailed explanation of what he discussed with FIFA President Infantino. Trump defended Balogun and said, "He didn't do anything wrong".
Trump praised FIFA's final decision, saying they made a "really brilliant decision." At the same time, Trump strongly criticized the referee who issued the red card. He called the referee's original decision "horrible." Trump said people were focusing only on the overturned red card but not talking enough about what he believed was the referee's bad decision.
{{/usCountry}}Trump praised FIFA's final decision, saying they made a "really brilliant decision." At the same time, Trump strongly criticized the referee who issued the red card. He called the referee's original decision "horrible." Trump said people were focusing only on the overturned red card but not talking enough about what he believed was the referee's bad decision.
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Referee decision and VAR review
Trump also questioned the referee's credibility, saying the referee was "a little bit suspect" and encouraged reporters to look into the referee's past. The controversy began during the USA vs Bosnia World Cup match on Wednesday. During the incident, the on-field referee initially did not award a foul. He appeared to believe it was simply two players challenging for the ball.
After reviewing the footage, the referee changed his decision and gave Balogun a straight red card for "serious foul play."
The referee's decision quickly divided fans, players and experts, with many debating whether the punishment was too harsh and whether the correct review process had been followed. After FIFA cleared Balogun to play, the Royal Belgium Football Association challenged the decision.
In its statement, the Belgian federation said that because it had received no explanation, it had no choice but to challenge Balogun's eligibility for the match.
Trump's involvement has added another layer of controversy as the US president publicly spoke with FIFA about a disciplinary decision involving a World Cup player.