Donald Trump has publicly supported FIFA President Gianni Infantino's handling of a controversial red card incident involving U.S. Men's National Team striker Folarin Balogun during the World Cup. Trump, speaking at an event in New York City on Friday, suggested that Infantino would not receive credit for what Trump deemed a "great decision" that ultimately worked out favorably.
The controversy arose after Balogun received a red card during a match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which would have resulted in an automatic suspension for the subsequent game against Belgium. However, following intervention from the White House and U.S. Soccer, the ban was suspended, leading to accusations of favoritism and political interference.
Trump appeared alongside Infantino and defended the FIFA president, stating that the outcome, where Belgium won the match and the U.S. team had all its players available, avoided further controversy. "It was so much better the way it worked out because there's no controversy: [Belgium] won the game and our team had all of its players," Trump said. He also directed criticism at those who opposed Infantino's decision, suggesting they would never acknowledge the positive resolution.
"You'll never get credit for it. Think if he didn't allow [Balogun to play] and they lost. They'd say: 'We would have the won the game if we had our best player!'" Trump remarked.
Balogun himself admitted that the saga had an impact on the team. "My initial reaction was that I was happy to be back in the team. But when I started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy," Balogun stated earlier in the week. He described the situation as confusing, with the team practicing without him, and noted the difficulty of managing "a lot of outside noise."
Infantino had previously insisted that the decision to suspend Balogun's ban was made by "independent" bodies acting "autonomously" in response to backlash. Trump characterized the red card as "probably the most unforgettable" moment of the World Cup and described his call to Infantino as making a "recommendation" to "let the guy in the game," though he later clarified he had "no idea what was going to happen."