President Donald Trump (R) and FIFA President Gianni Infantino (C) can be seen in the pic. | AFP
US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he personally called FIFA president Gianni Infantino after Folarin Balogun was shown a red card during the United States’ FIFA World Cup clash, insisting he only sought a review of the decision and did not ask for the ban to be overturned. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump defended Balogun and maintained that the challenge did not deserve a dismissal. His remarks come after FIFA overturned the striker’s suspension, a move that sparked widespread debate and allegations of political interference.
Trump says he only wanted the incident reviewed”I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump said while addressing reporters. “All I did was ask for a review. I didn’t say you have to do this.”
The US President argued that the incident involved two players colliding at full speed rather than a reckless challenge. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I saw the play… that wasn’t a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction. That was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other. So yes, I asked for a review by FIFA,” he added.
Trump also admitted he was initially unfamiliar with football’s disciplinary system before learning about the consequences of the dismissal. “I didn’t know what the hell a red card was. When I found out, I said, ‘You gotta be kidding!'” he remarked. Questions referee’s credibilityTrump also cast doubt on Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, who officiated the match and issued the controversial red card to Balogun.”This referee, who is a little bit suspect if you check his past. I don’t want say that because I don’t like to create controversy, but very suspect,” Trump said while explaining why he contacted Infantino over the decision.The comments are likely to intensify scrutiny over FIFA’s decision to overturn Balogun’s suspension ahead of the United States’ knockout clash. While Trump insists he merely requested a review, critics have questioned whether political pressure influenced the governing body’s final verdict, making the incident one of the biggest talking points of the FIFA World Cup.