Editorial
When FIFA tosses out its own rule book after a phone call from the US president Trump, it proves that the pitch is never truly free from politics.
United States President Donald Trump joined by FIFA president Gianni Infantino (right) holds the World Cup Trophy as he makes an announcement in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Aug. 22, 2025. Trump announced the 2026 World Cup draw will be held on Dec. 5 at Washington's Kennedy Center. (AFP/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds)
FIFA under Gianni Infantino has never hesitated to crack down on players making political statements. We saw this clearly during the World Cup 2022 in Qatar, when the global soccer body threatened European captains with sanctions simply for planning to wear OneLove rainbow armbands. The message from the top has always been ironclad: the pitch is for soccer, not social or political protests.But now the FIFA boss is facing fierce backlash for fielding his own brand of politics. It started when United States President Donald Trump publicly claimed he called Infantino to get American star Folarin Balogun's red card suspension lifted, just before the host team’s round of 16 clash against Belgium on July 7.
