WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday took credit for prompting FIFA to take another look at a red card handed to U.S. star forward Folarin Balogun at the World Cup, while making clear he did not pressure the organization to reach a particular decision.
“All I did was ask for a review,” Trump said during an unrelated Oval Office event when reporters brought up the matter. “I didn’t say, ‘You have to do this.’”
Trump confirmed he personally reached out to FIFA President Gianni Infantino and requested that the punishment against Balogun be reconsidered. The red card was issued during the United States’ 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina the previous week in Santa Clara, California, near San Francisco. FIFA ultimately chose to lift the mandatory one-game ban Balogun faced for a foul tackle, clearing him to take the field in Monday’s round of 16 showdown with Belgium in Seattle.
FIFA’s move to suspend the ban drew widespread celebration among American fans but sparked sharp criticism from the broader international sports community, with some calling it an inappropriate outside interference.
Speaking Monday, Trump described the original referee’s call as “horrible” and suggested it would have cast a shadow over the entire tournament if Balogun — the leading U.S. scorer at this year’s World Cup with three goals — had been forced to sit out against Belgium and the Americans had gone on to lose. Trump praised FIFA’s reversal as a brilliant decision.
“I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump said. “I thought it was two great athletes that crashed into each other and got entangled.”
Trump, who described himself as someone who understands sports “really well,” admitted he was not initially familiar with what a red card means or what consequences it carries. Once he learned that Balogun would face a one-game suspension as a result, he said he decided to get involved. He also criticized the use of video review technology to issue the red card, arguing that slow-motion replays can make routine athletic contact appear more aggressive than it actually was.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was among those present at the Oval Office event and expressed his appreciation for Trump’s involvement.
“On behalf of all Americans, thank you for getting rid of that ridiculous red card,” Cruz said. “It was spectacular. There was a reason the FIFA trophy sat here for as long as it did.”
Cruz appeared to be referencing a White House gathering held the previous year, during which Infantino visited and brought along the World Cup trophy.
