WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday told FIFA review red card He issued a warning to US star forward Folarin Balogun at the World Cup, but said he did not demand a result.
Asked about the incident at an unrelated Oval Office event, Trump said, “All I did was ask for a review.” “I didn’t say, ‘This is what I have to do.'”
President Trump confirmed that he called FIFA president Gianni Infantino and asked for a reconsideration. punishment Balogun match America’s 2-0 victory Last week, they played against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara, California, near San Francisco. But he said FIFA had made the final decision to lift Balogun’s mandatory one-match suspension for the foul tackle, allowing him to play in Monday’s Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle.
FIFA’s decision to suspend one-match suspensions was celebrated by many in the United States; Condemnation in the international sports worldsome called it an outrageous intrusion. The Belgian Football Federation Object to Balogun’s qualifications European Football Association (UEFA) condemned FIFA’s move as “incomprehensible and unfair.”
AP Audio: President Trump says World Cup referee’s red card decision is ‘terrible’, but insists he left the outcome up to FIFA
Associated Press correspondent Ed Donahue reported that President Trump answered a question about the revocation of the United States’ red card at the World Cup.
President Trump criticizes referee’s red card decision
In remarks Monday, President Trump called the referee’s call “terrible.” He added that if Balogun, the United States’ leading scorer with three goals in this year’s World Cup, had held out against Belgium and the United States had lost, it would have been a stain on the tournament. He praised FIFA for taking the excellent decision to suspend him. punishment.
President Trump said, “I didn’t think it was a foul.” “I thought it was two great athletes colliding and getting tangled.”
The Republican president, who said he understood the sport “very well,” admitted he didn’t initially know what a red card was or its consequences. He said when he learned that Balogun would be suspended for one game, he decided to intervene. He also took issue with the use of video reviews to issue red cards, arguing that slow reviews could make play look more aggressive.
“Belgium has a great team,” President Trump said. “We have to have our best players and they have to play their best. And whether we win or lose, it’s fair.”
FIFA president defends decision-making process
Immediately after Trump addressed the controversy, Infantino released a statement detailing his phone call with Trump and defending the independence of FIFA’s disciplinary committee.
“During our conversation, I explained that a legal process involving FIFA’s independent judiciary is underway and that the matter will be decided accordingly by the competent authority. That is how the FIFA system works and it is a principle that I will always uphold,” Infantino said in a statement on X.
President Trump’s Oval Office events focused on: New investment account for children in the USAnd he immediately tried to divert attention from the World Cup controversy. “They don’t want to know anything about football, slash football,” he said of the reporters gathered in the Oval Office. “Luckily, they won’t ask any questions about it. Nobody cares about that, right?”
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who attended the event with Mr. Trump, again focused attention on the red card. “On behalf of all Americans, thank you for getting rid of that ridiculous red card,” Cruz said in his speech. “It was spectacular.”
Asked about the scope of his role, Trump made his case to Infantino, but said: “I’m not telling him what to do. I can’t tell him what to do.”
Separately on Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said lifting Balogun’s punishment was the right decision.
In rare comments during a photo shoot ahead of a meeting with Chile’s foreign minister, Rubio questioned why Belgium wanted to win the game, saying: “If everyone is going to argue, it would be that they really couldn’t win because their best scorer or top scorer wasn’t on the pitch.”
He joked that it was becoming an “international incident.” NATO summit meeting This week it’s Türkiye.
How did Balogun get the red card?
foul against Balogun During a round of 32 match, he was called out for hitting Bosnian defender Tarik Mujaremović’s ankle with his cleated foot. Brazilian referee Rafael Kraus initially did not signal a card, but a slow-motion review resulted in a red card being awarded.
Balogun later said he thought yellow carda formal warning would have been fair.
FIFA’s decision was quickly criticized on Sunday by Belgium coach Rudi Garcia, who said it sounded like an April Fool’s joke. Meanwhile, US coach Mauricio Pochettino praised FIFA’s move, saying his team was punished enough by losing Balogun for the remaining games last week.
As the drama unfolded on the pitch last week, it was immediately clear from the perspective of Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, White House FIFA Task Force Leader Andrew Giuliani and Trump administration officials that the process for issuing Balogun the red card was inadequate.
On the flight back to Washington from Santa Clara, the discussion surrounding the red card and how to respond to it became a hot topic. The group’s consensus was simple: The red card should be overridden because the slow-motion replay was inappropriate, according to a senior U.S. official familiar with the talks.
The next day, Trump officials continued to study the details of the rules, consult with lawyers and discuss the matter with U.S. Soccer, said the official, who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations.
Trump was also briefed on the latest information as he prepared to speak with Infantino, who he has met with multiple times a week since the World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, began on June 11.
___
Kim reported from Ankara, Turkey. Associated Press photographer Manny Senator contributed from Washington.
