{"id":6532,"date":"2026-07-06T21:35:42","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T21:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=6532"},"modified":"2026-07-06T21:35:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T21:35:42","slug":"trumps-world-cup-controversy-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=6532","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s World Cup controversy, explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

His attempt to help backfired.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n
President Donald Trump intervened to try to help the U.S. men’s national soccer team after a controversial red card, but it’s blowing up into a major controversy. (Julio Cortez\/AP)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

President Donald Trump is driving a controversy<\/a> at the World Cup that risks undermining the United States\u2019 success in the tournament so far and could add to a global perception that the nation is embedded in corruption that goes beyond soccer.<\/p>

Read more Arthur Fery becomes 1st British wild card to reach Wimbledon quarterfinals in professional era<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what happened and why it\u2019s so controversial.<\/p>\n

Trump says he asked the head of FIFA to review a referee\u2019s decision to kick out the U.S.\u2019s leading scorers from last week\u2019s game. FIFA not only reviewed it but also reinstated the player a day before the U.S.\u2019s big game.<\/p>\n

Under FIFA rules, the red card issued to Folarin Balogun after a challenge that injured another player meant he was banned from playing Monday against Belgium, in a massive game that could see the U.S. advance to the quarterfinals.<\/p>\n

A day before the game, FIFA said Balogun could play, offering little reason as to why, besides citing an obscure disciplinary code. FIFA didn\u2019t mention Trump, but the connection was unmistakable.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t tell them what to do; I can\u2019t tell them what to do,\u201d Trump said of FIFA officials Monday, after reporting over the weekend that he called the FIFA president.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll I did \u2014 I asked for a review because I didn\u2019t think it was a foul,\u201d the U.S. president said.<\/p>\n

There is an argument to be made that Balogun\u2019s red card was overly aggressive because the contact appeared to be unintentional. But the outrage quickly morphed from a response to the original call into a global indictment of FIFA and how world leaders such as Trump can bend the rules of soccer to their favor.<\/p>\n

There are a few reasons:<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s call to FIFA risks tying the U.S. to an organization reviled around the globe for its corrupt reputation (after scandals going back decades).<\/p>

Read more Alexandra Eala provides a \u2018ray of hope\u2019 for the Philippines despite Wimbledon exit<\/a><\/p>\n

Leading up to this World Cup being co-hosted in the United States, Trump has embraced FIFA leaders, who also openly courted and flattered him<\/a>. At times, the relationship was financially beneficial for Trump. As The Washington Post reports<\/a>: \u201cInfantino and Trump had cultivated each other for nearly a decade, a relationship that began when the World Cup was awarded to North America eight years ago and has progressed to FIFA renting office space in Trump Tower and awarding<\/a> Trump its inaugural peace prize last year. \u2018You are part of the FIFA team now,\u2019 Infantino said in the Oval Office in 2018, handing Trump a customized jersey to celebrate the future World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n

But working together to host the World Cup is one thing; Trump leveraging his cozy relationship with FIFA\u2019s leaders to try to influence actual play \u2014 while so much of the world is closely watching \u2014 is another level entirely.<\/p>\n

Just a week ago, the world learned that Trump has used the presidency to dramatically boost his income<\/a>, to the tune of more than $2.2 billion in 2025. Even some Republicans have compared Trump\u2019s stunning self-enrichment while in office to the rule of Russia\u2019s autocratic leader, Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe and his family believe they are entitled to this,\u201d former New Jersey governor Chris Christie told ABC News<\/a>. \u201c\u2026 This is Putin-esque type of corruption and self-enrichment.\u201d<\/p>\n

All of this risks adding to the perception that the United States is not a global leader for freedom and prosperity but part of the problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe world is outraged that Trump would intervene in the World Cup. There\u2019s scathing press everywhere,\u201d said Kim Lane Scheppele, a Princeton University professor who studies the rise and fall of democracies. \u201cThere are huge audiences watching the games, and fair play is a crucial element the game. If the U.S. wins the game later today, many will call the game rigged because of Trump\u2019s interference, and that will ultimately discredit the U.S. team. It\u2019s another Trump backfire.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amber Phillips<\/i><\/a> writes <\/i>The 5-Minute Fix newsletter<\/i><\/a>, a quick analysis of the day\u2019s biggest political news. <\/i>Send her an email here<\/i><\/a>, or <\/i>ask a question<\/i><\/a> that could be featured in an upcoming newsletter. <\/i><\/p>

Read more Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist sign multiyear deals to begin racing for Arrow McLaren in 2027<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Trump is driving a controversy at the World Cup that risks undermining the United States\u2019 success in the tournament so far and could add to a global perception that the nation is embedded in corruption that goes beyond soccer. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6530,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\nTrump\u2019s World Cup controversy, explained - Moving Insider USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=6532\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trump\u2019s World Cup controversy, explained - 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