Trump takes credit for red card review but says FIFA made final call
AP News • • sports
Key Points:
- President Donald Trump took credit for prompting FIFA to review and suspend the one-game ban against U.S. forward Folarin Balogun after a red card in the World Cup, but said he did not demand a specific outcome.
- Trump criticized the referee’s red card decision as a “horrible” call and argued the foul was a collision between two athletes rather than a foul, praising FIFA for allowing Balogun to play against Belgium.
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the independence of FIFA’s disciplinary process, stating the decision was made by the appropriate judicial bodies despite Trump’s call.
- The decision to lift Balogun’s suspension sparked controversy, with the Belgian soccer federation challenging his eligibility and UEFA calling FIFA’s move “incomprehensible and unjustifiable,” while U.S. officials, including Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, supported the outcome.
- Trump questioned the integrity of Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, who issued the red card, though the Brazilian soccer federation strongly defended Claus’s professionalism and integrity.
