Ultimately, the incident had no impact on the sporting outcome, as Belgium convincingly defeated the USA 4–1, aided by a standout performance from Folarin Balogun. However, the controversy surrounding FIFA’s decision to intervene in the striker’s suspension after his red card is expected to linger. Even more peculiar is the reported involvement of former US President Donald Trump in the situation, as both FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Trump confirmed a phone call prior to the World Cup round-of-16 match, which was purportedly about reviewing the suspension.
Following the reversal, Trump expressed gratitude to FIFA on Truth Social, stating they had rectified a “great injustice.” He provided further details at a press conference ahead of the match, revealing an almost unbelievable narrative.
Starting with a dramatic flourish, he claimed, “I’m someone who loves sports and was a good athlete. And I really understand sports well.” Yet, he then confessed, “I didn’t know what a red card was. When I found out, I said, you’ve got to be kidding. This guy just raises his hand and says your best player won’t play in the next game. I said, wow, that’s a lot of power. That’s terrible,” Trump recounted with theatrical flair.
His unusual statements didn’t stop there. Trump also cast suspicion on the referee from the round-of-32 match, Raphael Claus, claiming, “This referee, who is a little suspicious if you look into his past, made a decision that nobody could believe,” though he offered no evidence to support that assertion.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.