Former President Donald Trump said the United States-Belgium World Cup match was rigged following a red-card decision against a U.S. player [1].
The comments highlight a rare instance of a former U.S. leader attempting to influence the disciplinary proceedings of an international sporting body during a major tournament.
Speaking in Washington, D.C., on July 6, Trump targeted the decision to issue one red card [2] to U.S. forward Folarin Balogun. Trump said, "I asked Gianni Infantino to review the red card" [3]. He said the decision was unjust and feared it would compromise the outcome of the round-of-16 match [2].
Reports on the nature of the comments vary. Some outlets reported that Trump made a serious claim regarding the match's integrity, while others described the remark as a joke that sparked backlash [4, 5]. In a separate report, Trump said, "We'll say it was rigged" [1].
The match took place on July 6 [1], resulting in a 4-1 defeat for the United States [6].
Trump's intervention occurred just before the game, though reports differ on the specific phrasing used. A Reuters report noted that Trump sought a review from FIFA President Gianni Infantino but did not explicitly use the word "rigged" in that specific instance [3]. However, other media outlets reported that Trump said, "It was rigged" [5].
“"I asked Gianni Infantino to review the red card."”
This incident reflects a collision between U.S. political rhetoric and the autonomous governance of international sports. By attempting to lobby the FIFA president over a refereeing decision, Trump challenged the standard neutrality of the World Cup, while the subsequent 4-1 loss provides a concrete outcome that critics are using to frame the intervention as a distraction from the team's performance.
