Lauren Sanchez Bezos posted from Seattle Stadium, wearing a U.S. jersey, as she watched the United States' World Cup round of 16 match against Belgium on Saturday.
Sanchez shared her enthusiasm with her 1.1 million Instagram followers, captioning a photo of herself and a friend in team shirts with "So excited USA!!!!!!" She later posted another photo with her son, Evan, also in a U.S. kit, writing "LFG USA!"
Jeff Bezos was also present at the match, which has drawn attention not only for its athletic stakes but also for reported political maneuvering surrounding a player's red card.
Reports emerged Sunday detailing alleged efforts by former President Donald Trump and his aides, in conjunction with U.S. Soccer executives, to appeal a red card suspension for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun. Balogun was sent off in a prior match after VAR determined he had stepped on an opponent's ankle, a decision that initially resulted in a straight red card. The suspension, if upheld, would have kept him from playing against Belgium.
According to the Wall Street Journal, concerns about the suspension's impact on the U.S. team's chances of advancing led to discussions involving Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House's World Cup task force. Trump reportedly instructed aides to explore options for overturning the suspension.
Simultaneously, U.S. Soccer was reportedly mounting its own challenge. The New York Post cited a source indicating that U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson and COO Dan Helfrich led an effort to argue that VAR procedures were incorrectly applied. The organization was reportedly prepared to take the dispute to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if FIFA did not reconsider its decision.
Balogun ultimately started for the U.S. against Belgium, and his one-game suspension was reportedly suspended for a year. The U.S. team was defeated by Belgium in the match. Also in attendance were Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike McDonald and Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder.