AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTYou have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.White House MemoThe president’s call to the head of FIFA underscores that he has yet to find an area of American, or even global, life where he is unwilling to assert himself.Listen · 5:12 min President Trump accepting the newly created “FIFA Peace Prize” from Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, last year. Mr. Trump called Mr. Infantino to protest an American player’s suspension.Credit...Tierney L. Cross/The New York TimesJuly 7, 2026, 1:10 p.m. ETFor nearly a month, President Trump had stayed away from the World Cup, not attending games and instead preoccupying himself with Washington construction projects and a war with Iran.But as the biggest sporting event on Earth enthralled Americans of all political stripes in cities stretching from coast to coast, the allure proved too much to resist.The president’s now famous — or infamous, depending on your view — phone call to the president of FIFA before the soccer organization overturned the suspension of an American star produced endless debate about political influence. It also generated locker room bulletin board material for Belgium, which handed the United States a humiliating 4-1 defeat on Monday night.Belgium’s team celebrated the victory by performing Mr. Trump’s signature dance and posting a two-word message online: “Overturn this.”The unusual melding of politics and sports underscored a truism of the Trump era: The president has yet to find an area of American, or even global, life where he is unwilling to assert himself. There are seemingly no previously apolitical events that can escape his pull.It is perhaps unsurprising that Mr. Trump, who loves both sports and the limelight, inserted himself in a situation where previous American presidents might have shown restraint. He has long attempted to capitalize politically on sports controversies. During his first term, he frequently criticized N.F.L. players who knelt during the national anthem to protest racial injustice. He has openly boasted that he uses the issue of transgender athletes as a surefire political winner for Republicans around election time.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT