President Trump just did something no sitting US president has ever done: he personally intervened in a World Cup refereeing decision, and he won. Folarin Balogun’s one-match suspension was lifted hours before the US men’s national team faced Belgium in the round of 16, following what Trump described as direct communication with FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The saga started on July 1, when Brazilian referee Raphael Claus issued Balogun a red card during the US match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. No foul was called on the field initially. The ejection came only after a Video Assistant Referee review, a sequence that left players, coaches, and fans bewildered.
From the pitch to the podium
Trump addressed the controversy from the White House on July 6, calling the referee “a little bit suspect if you check his past.”
The president declared the foul “non-existent” and questioned Claus’s credibility, pointing to past allegations against the Brazilian referee. Claus has faced match-fixing allegations previously, though neither FIFA nor Brazilian authorities have validated those claims.
