-
Sam Borden
Multiple Authors
SEATTLE — Andrew Giuliani, who leads the White House task force for the 2026 World Cup, stated to ESPN on Monday that he has no worries regarding FIFA’s choice to overturn Folarin Balogun‘s suspension and its effect on the legacy or credibility of the United States national team’s performance in the tournament.
Giuliani expressed that fans outside of the U.S. should appreciate the correction of what he called an “injustice.” He emphasized claims by the U.S. that FIFA’s video-replay rules were misapplied by match officials and referenced previous allegations against the head referee, Brazilian Raphael Claus.
“The legacy is that they were dealt a penalty that never should have been enforced,” Giuliani told ESPN.
“When you look at the rulebook, the process was flawed, and the referee who made that decision has a history of questionable calls. So, I believe that for anyone seeking fairness in sports, this is the outcome you desire—a fair resolution.”
In the U.S.’s 2-0 victory against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday, Balogun scored the first goal in the 45th minute, but was sent off in the 64th minute for a foul on defender Tarik Muharemovic.
FIFA announced on Sunday that it would suspend Balogun’s red card, permitting him to play against Belgium in a round-of-16 match later on Monday, while delaying his suspension for one year.
On Monday, FIFA reaffirmed its decision, stating that a request from the Belgian football federation (RBFA) for clarification on Folarin Balogun‘s suspended red card was “inadmissible” because the RBFA is not directly involved in the case and, therefore, lacks the authority to contest the ruling.
Giuliani added that discussions on how to support U.S. Soccer’s appeal regarding Balogun’s automatic one-game suspension began right after the player’s expulsion from last Wednesday’s match against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
He noted that he conferred about it with Howard Lutnick, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, while on the flight home, while other staff members who are soccer enthusiasts were engaged in similar conversations in the West Wing.
“We collaborated,” Giuliani recounted, “and concluded there must be a way to rectify this injustice.”
Some critics have accused U.S. officials of overstepping in a sports-related matter, but Giuliani highlighted that this incident is akin to the U.S. decision to ease travel restrictions for the Iran team, allowing them to arrive two days before their match.
“That was done to ensure fairness and equity,” Giuliani told ESPN.
“This isn’t an isolated case for the United States team. Our goal has been to enhance fairness. If a referee with a troubled history issues an irregular red card, that error should be corrected.”
Giuliani stressed that U.S. officials merely assisted U.S. Soccer in managing their own appeal and reiterated that neither the government nor President Trump exerted any influence over FIFA’s disciplinary committee’s decision.
Giuliani also does not believe that this situation sets any precedent for future government involvement in sports.
He cited previous instances where different government committees interacted with the NCAA on matters related to college athletes, reiterating that in this scenario, the government simply supported U.S. Soccer in their efforts.
While he acknowledged that others might see it differently, he doesn’t think this event opens the door to ongoing government interference in sports.
“This isn’t the first time the U.S. government has interacted with major sports leagues or soccer during times of misconduct,” Giuliani told ESPN.
“I understand how this might seem, but I would argue that no precedent has been set here.”