President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that he personally reached out to FIFA President Gianni Infantino after U.S. Men’s National Team standout Folarin Balogun received a controversial red card, saying he believed the decision unfairly threatened to sideline one of America’s top players for a crucial World Cup match against Belgium.
Speaking during a White House press conference, Trump described why he decided to contact the FIFA chief, explaining that after watching replay footage of the play, he believed Balogun had done nothing to deserve the punishment that would have prevented him from appearing in Monday’s match.
Trump said the incident appeared to involve the players becoming tangled together and questioned the severity of the referee’s decision.
“They got sort of entangled. He didn’t do anything wrong, and he’s our best player — or one of our best players. A very vital player. And he gave him a red card,” Trump said.
The president added that he was initially unfamiliar with the consequences of the penalty but quickly learned that a red card would force Balogun to miss the following game.
“I didn’t know what that meant. I didn’t think it meant much,” Trump said. “Then I started hearing that that means he can’t play in the next game — at least in the next game. I said, boy, that’s a big [problem].”
Trump argued that while it would have been unfair regardless of which player received the punishment, the impact was even greater because Balogun is one of the team’s most important contributors.
“You know, if it happened to another player, it would have been unfair. But when they take your best player, or just about — they have some great players — and they say you can’t play, that’s very unfair,” he said.
The president questioned the practice of extending punishment beyond the match in which the incident occurred.
“It’s one thing to penalize somebody for the game,” Trump said. “But how do you penalize him for a game that hasn’t been played yet? You can’t do that.”
Trump confirmed that his call to Infantino was limited to requesting that the play receive another look.
“So yes, I asked for a review,” he said.
The president also expressed skepticism about the officiating, saying the referee responsible for issuing the red card was “a little bit suspect.”
During his remarks, Trump praised Infantino extensively, crediting the FIFA president for his leadership and saying his opinion of him had increased significantly.
Trump said his respect for Infantino had gone up “10-fold,” adding that he already held him in high regard before the incident. He also praised the popularity of the World Cup, saying the tournament was drawing ratings comparable to the Super Bowl.
Returning to the subject of Balogun’s eligibility, Trump emphasized that he had not attempted to pressure FIFA into a specific outcome.
“All I did was ask for a review. I didn’t say you have to do this,” Trump said. “This man is a smart, tough man, Gianni Infantino. He’s a smart, tough man, and his stock has gone through the roof because the job he’s done has been great.”
Trump said he believes major matches should feature each team’s top players whenever possible.
“And I feel we have to have all the best players on the field. You can’t take the best players,” he said.
The president added that he was pleased with the final decision allowing Balogun to play, while noting that Belgium’s soccer federation was unhappy with the outcome. The Royal Belgian Football Association said Sunday it was “astonished” that Balogun would be eligible for Monday’s match.
Trump argued that a victory over an opponent missing one of its top players would not have carried the same significance.
“The people in Belgium, if they win the game, they can be very proud,” Trump said. “If they would win the game with a player missing, it would have been a different feeling. You can’t do that.”
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