Donald Trump made a surprising confession about soccer while defending his controversial FIFA phone call. The president explained why he intervened in Folarin Balogun’s World Cup red card suspension ahead of the U.S. team’s knockout match against Belgium.
Donald Trump defends his FIFA call for red card
President Donald Trump defended his decision to call FIFA President Gianni Infantino regarding U.S. striker Folarin Balogun’s one-game World Cup ban, CNBC reported. Trump spoke at a White House Oval Office event on Monday, explaining his reasoning behind the controversial intervention. “I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump told reporters at the gathering.
A referee issued Balogun a red card during the U.S. Men’s National Team’s Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The 25-year-old was ejected from that July 1 match and subsequently barred from Monday’s knockout fixture against Belgium. FIFA then suspended the ban on Sunday, clearing Balogun to feature in the Seattle contest.
Trump insisted he did not direct Infantino toward any particular outcome during their conversation. “I didn’t tell him what to do. I can’t tell him what to do,” Trump remarked. He further noted that he did not believe Infantino had personally determined the final ruling.
Infantino issued a statement through FIFA’s official X account, acknowledging the call while defending the process. He maintained that the organization’s judicial bodies function independently and reach decisions autonomously. “I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies,” Infantino stated in his response.
Trump argued that keeping Balogun sidelined would have undermined the significance of the Belgium match. “This game would have a big mark on it, if we lost or if we won,” Trump commented. He also admitted unfamiliarity with certain soccer regulations, telling reporters he had not previously understood what a red card meant.
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on Mandatory.com.
