admin President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday he asked FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to review the “horrible” decision to hand a red card to star US striker Folarin Balogun, but said he did not request it be overturned.
“I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “All I did was ask for a review, I didn’t say you have to do this.” “That wasn’t even an infraction. That was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other,” Trump said.
The Republican president — who said “I understand sports really well” — acknowledged that he was initially unaware that the red card meant Balogun was barred from the next game, saying the rule is “very unfair.”
Trump took aim at Raphael Claus, the Brazilian referee who made the call, describing him as “a little bit suspect if you check his past.”
Balogun had been set to miss Monday’s last-16 knockout clash against Belgium after receiving a straight red card following a video review for stepping on the ankle of a Bosnian defender in a round-of-32 clash that the US won 2-0.
Under FIFA rules, a straight red card automatically triggers a one-game ban, which cannot be appealed by the player’s team.
‘RIGGED’ LIKE ELECTION
US media reported that the red card kicked off multiple days of lobbying by the Trump administration aimed at getting the decision overturned.
The effort involved officials including Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, as well as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also publicly called for the red card to be rescinded.
After the personal call from Trump, world football’s governing body said on Sunday the ban would now be suspended for a year, with Balogun only serving it if he commits another similar foul within that period.
Folarin Balogun talks to the media prior to a training session in Seattle, Washington. AFP
“We’re going to have a full team, and Belgium is going to have a full team, and you know what? If they beat us, then they can be really proud,” the US president said on Monday.
“The other way, if they beat us… I say it was rigged, just like the election was rigged in 2020,” Trump said, referring to his false, repeated claim that he was the real winner of the election won by Democrat Joe Biden.
The decision to allow Balogun to play has been slammed by Belgian football officials, who released a statement saying they were “astonished” by a move that is in “direct contradiction” with FIFA’s own rules.
Top scorer Balogun has been key to the US team’s progress in the tournament, scoring three times, and his absence against Belgium would have been a major blow to the team in the upcoming game in Seattle.
The decision to suspend the ban was taken by FIFA’s disciplinary committee.
Agence France-Presse
