FIFA World Cup 2026: Trump confirms he asked FIFA chief to review red card foul

Washington: President Donald Trump said on Monday he asked FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to review a red-card foul against USA striker Folarin Balogun and that he did not think ‌the foul ⁠called ⁠by the "horrible" referee was fair.

"All I did, I asked for ​a review, because I didn't think it was a foul," ​Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

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The unprecedented move has thrust FIFA's disciplinary process into the global spotlight ​and prompted an angry response ⁠from Belgium, ‌who play the U.S. on Monday ​for a ​place in the quarter-finals.

Trump said the ⁠incident that got Balogun the red card was ​simply a case of two athletes colliding ​and he raised questions about the fairness of the referee who called the foul.

"I saw the play," Trump said. "That wasn't a foul. That wasn't even an infraction. That was two guys running ‌whole speed that happened to crash into each other."

He said FIFA made a "really brilliant decision" ​to ​suspend the red ⁠card. "I think the referee's call was horrible," he said.

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Trump said all he did was ask for a review. "I didn't ​tell them what to do. I can't tell them what to do," he said.

He said it was important for team USA to have its best players on the field.