’Got to Have Our Best Players’—Trump Confirms Involvement in Balogun’s Red Card Reversal

U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed his involvement in the red card scandal that has enveloped the U.S. men’s national team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup over the past 48 hours.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump admitted that he had spoken with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, with whom he has a close relationship, and “asked for a review” after star striker Folarin Balogun was controversially flashed a red card in the round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina last Wednesday. The President offered his analysis on the play, in which Balogun’s cleat studs dug into the Achilles area of Bosnian center back Tarik Muharemović.

The red card call—originally sidelining Balogun for the following match—has since been suspended for one year, allowing Balogun to play in Monday’s round of 16 clash against Belgium.

“I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump said. “I’m good at this stuff. I thought it was two great athletes who crashed into each other and got entangled; that was not a guy punching someone in the face or anything like that.”

President Trump on Red Card Reversal: "I saw the play...that wasn't a foul...this referee, who is a little bit suspect if you check his past...It's one thing to penalize somebody for the game, but how do you penalize them for a game that hasn't been played yet. So, yes, I asked… pic.twitter.com/CIpIJNZAo7
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 6, 2026

“I think it’s terrible if they wouldn’t allow a top player, maybe among the best players on the team, to play. I think it would have had a big stain” he said. “I didn’t tell [Infantino] what to do. I can’t tell him what to do, but I don’t believe he made the decision.”

“You want to see a game with your best players. It would have really stained this incredible champion. We’ve got to have our best players, and Belgium has got a great team, by the way. We have our best players, and they have to have their best, and if we win or we lose, it’s fair.”

The 80-year-old President has been a noted soccer fan for decades, once a regular attendee at New York Cosmos games in the now-defunct North American Soccer League, where he recalled watching Brazilian legend Pelé at the end of his career in North America. At the same time, Trump credits himself and his presidency for landing the 2026 World Cup in North American and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

In December, Infantino personally invented and awarded the FIFA Peace Prize to Trump at the World Cup Draw in Washington, D.C., an event held at the Kennedy Center despite initial reports that it would be held in Las Vegas, before Trump requested a venue change.

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The President’s strong ties with FIFA led to an international outcry regarding Balogun’s ruling; however, FIFA has continually insisted that the red card reversal was the decision of an independent disciplinary committee, rather than the White House.

According to reports from Politico and the New York Times, though, Trump was not the only one from within the White House involved in fighting the red card. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who sat next to Infantino at the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, led the recruitment of lawyers to find a solution to Balogun’s absence in the round of 16, with input from Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup.

Prior to Trump’s Monday comments, United States Senator Ted Cruz also thanked the President for “getting rid of that ridiculous red card,” adding: “There was a reason the FIFA trophy sat here for as long as it did.”

Infantino Stresses Disciplinary Committee’s Autonomy

President Donald Trump, Gianni Infantino — President Donald Trump (left) and Gianni Infantino have a strong relationship. | Tasos Katopodis/FIFA/Getty Images

While neither the White House nor Trump has called Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever regarding the situation—and the European leader hasn’t spoken on it, the Royal Belgian Football Association has taken significant steps to fight the ruling, despite the unlikelihood of it being overturned before Monday’s match. UEFA supported Belgium on Monday in a statement, saying that the ruling “crossed a red line,” while Trump suggested he would be “happy” to speak with De Wever but “hadn’t thought about it.”

The entire situation, though, brings into question FIFA’s Statutes, which outline that participants must abide by political neutrality and that political interference is not permitted.

Infantino also issued a statement, reiterating that: “FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent, operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them.”

“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. 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.”

Will Trump Be at USMNT vs Belgium?

World Cup draw — Only Canada's Mark Carney (right) has attended a World Cup match among the three co-host leaders, including Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum (center) and Trump (left) | Tasos Katopodis/FIFA/Getty Images

Despite his heavy involvement in the Balogun situation, Trump has yet to attend a World Cup match this summer.

Barring a significant change, he would also not be in attendance in Seattle on Monday, as he is set to travel to Ankara, Türkiye, in the evening, where he will attend NATO meetings starting on Tuesday, as well as scheduled time with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

To date, the only leader of a co-hosting nation that has attended the 2026 World Cup has been Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who addressed players after the team’s historic first World Cup win. Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum has not attended any games either, giving her tickets away and opting to stand in solidarity with those who cannot afford to go.

Should the USMNT defeat Belgium in Seattle, it would advance to the quarterfinal against Spain or Portugal, with that game in Los Angeles on July 10.

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