President Donald Trump said Monday that he asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review a red card issued to U.S. striker Folarin Balogun [1].
The intervention marks a rare instance of a sitting U.S. president attempting to influence the disciplinary outcome of an international sporting event. Because the red card carries a suspension, the decision directly impacts the roster available for the U.S. team's upcoming Round of 16 match against Belgium [2].
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said he believed the call was incorrect and that the suspension would be unfair to the national team. He suggested that allowing the red card to stand would leave a "big stain" on the tournament [3].
"I asked for a review because I didn't think it was a foul," Trump said [1]. He added that he believes he is "good at this stuff" when evaluating such plays [4].
Trump said his request for a review was based on his personal assessment of the foul. He said that the goal was to ensure the U.S. team was not unfairly disadvantaged in the competition [5].
"All I did, all I did, I asked for a review ’cause I didn’t think it was a foul," Trump said [6].
FIFA has not yet announced whether the request for a review will change the eligibility of Balogun for the next match. The tournament continues to progress toward the knockout stages, where the U.S. team seeks to advance past the Round of 16 [2].
“"I asked for a review because I didn't think it was a foul."”
This action represents a significant departure from the traditional separation between national government and international sports governance. By directly lobbying the head of FIFA to overturn a referee's on-field decision, the U.S. president is challenging the autonomy of the sport's governing body and the finality of match officials' rulings during a high-stakes global tournament.
