Trump Admits FIFA Call Over Red Card Scandal

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is embroiled in scandal after U.S. President Donald Trump admitted to calling FIFA President Gianni Infantino to intervene in a red card decision. The controversy centers on a suspended ban for U.S. player Folarin Balogun, which overshadowed the tournament.

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I only asked for a review because I don't think it was a foul.

Trump confirmed he asked Infantino to review the red card, which he felt was unjustified. "I only asked for a review because I don't think it was a foul," Trump told reporters. FIFA subsequently announced it would suspend the ban for the U.S. top scorer, a decision that prompted an immediate formal protest from the Belgian football association.

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The shameless Donald Trump and his subservient puppet Gianni Infantino have dragged this World Cup into a cesspool.

The move has ignited international criticism. Britain's "Daily Mail" decried the actions of Trump and Infantino, calling the World Cup a "cesspool." The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) stated that "a red line has been crossed," warning that the integrity and credibility of the sport are at stake when the "legal certainty of the rules is no longer guaranteed by their custodians." Sports law experts, like Thomas Summerer, have also labeled FIFA's decision as unlawful.

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a red line has been crossed.

The red card against Balogun in the Round of 16 match was controversial, with his challenge on Tarik Muharemovic deemed harsh but possibly unintentional. The referee initially issued the card after a VAR review. Despite the controversy, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino welcomed the decision, stating, "I think we have to celebrate that this is a fair decision, not to punish us further."

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The decision by FIFA to lift the red card for the next game and suspend it is unlawful.