VAR over VAR

The world of football is aghast that a powerful figure, U.S. President Donald Trump, allegedly sought to bend the rules for a player's penalty. However, this author remains unfazed by the global outcry from football officials concerned with the sport's integrity.

Trump, described as the "most powerful man on the planet," acted as a fan and a patriot, leveraging his position as host of the World Cup. The author views his intervention with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to overturn a penalty for American player Folarin Balogun not as a scandal, but as characteristic "Trumpism." The piece notes that football, despite its immense financial flows, is hardly immune to corruption and anomalies.

Ultimately, the author asserts that the field of play, not any court or political intervention, served as the ultimate arbiter. Belgium's victory is presented as a just outcome, underscoring that even a U.S. president's influence could not alter the game's result. The piece concludes by questioning whether justice truly prevailed, hinting at the complexities and potential hypocrisies within the sport's governance.