On Monday, football fans around the globe woke up to the shocking news that American star striker Folarin Balogun had his red card suspension completely wiped away, just days after the U.S. President made a personal phone call to the head of the sport’s governing body, leading many to ask: Did Trump just force FIFA to rig the World Cup for the US?
The Secret Phone Call and the Reversal
The drama began on Wednesday during the United States’ match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Balogun was sent off the pitch after a Video Assistant Referee (the high-tech replay system used by officials to review contested on-field decisions) review judged that he had accidentally raked his cleats down a defender’s leg. Normally, a red card carries an automatic, non-appealable one-game suspension, which would have sidelined Balogun for Monday’s critical knockout match against Belgium.
However, the normal rulebook was tossed aside after President Trump personally called Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA (the International Federation of Association Football, which serves as the global governing body for soccer). Following the call, the federation’s disciplinary committee suddenly lifted Balogun’s suspension, placing him on probation instead.
Trump later confirmed the call to reporters in the Oval Office, stating he merely asked for a review because he believed it was just “two great athletes” colliding. While Trump insists he didn’t order anyone around, the timing of the decision has cast a dark shadow over the tournament.
Global Soccer Outraged by “Unprecedented” Bias
The international soccer community reacted to the news with immediate disgust. European governing bodies and former players are openly accusing the federation of breaking its own rules to please the American host country.
The RBFA (the Royal Belgian Football Association, which governs soccer within Belgium) expressed pure astonishment, revealing that FIFA even secretly deleted a slide about automatic red-card suspensions from their official pre-match rules presentation on Sunday.
UEFA (the Union of European Football Associations, the governing body representing soccer across Europe) released a statement saying the decision “crossed a red line” and actively undermined the integrity of the entire game.
Former Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney called the move an “absolute disgrace,” while popular commentator Gary Neville openly stated that the entire situation “absolutely stinks.”
My Opinion
This is an absolute circus, and it proves that under the current leadership, the world’s biggest sports tournament has become a political thing.
The rule that red cards lead to automatic suspensions is a foundational boundary of soccer designed to protect fair play. For decades, players from smaller nations have had their World Cup dreams crushed by bad referee calls with zero avenues for appeal. But the moment an American player gets sent off, the President of the United States picks up the phone, calls his billionaire buddy running the tournament, and the rules miraculously bend.
By catering to Washington’s elite, Infantino has turned the world’s most beloved sport into a cheap corporate transaction. It completely insults the Belgian team, disrespects every other nation playing by the rules, and ruins the magic of the tournament. If the U.S. goes on to win, their victory will always be stained by the fact that they needed a political favor from the Oval Office just to get their star player back on the field.
Bottom Line
While American players like Christian Pulisic have expressed relief that their teammate is back, the damage to the sport’s credibility is already done. Belgium has filed formal complaints, but Balogun is still cleared to play in Seattle, leaving fans to wonder how much political leverage is currently controlling the game behind closed doors. Looking at the deleted rule slides and the sudden backroom deals, it is clear that Trump is planning to use his power to force FIFA to rig the World Cup for the US.
