Donald Trump did not deny it; he confirmed it himself in front of the cameras: he called Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, after U.S. forward Folarin Balogun was sent off with a straight red card.
“I didn’t even know what a red card was”, Trump said. “When I found out, I said: this must be a joke, and I asked for a review. We need all our players.” According to him, there was no foul, just “two guys who happened to collide with each other”, and the referee who sent Balogun off seemed “a little suspicious”.
Days later, FIFA lifted the suspension. Trump says he only conveyed his opinion, without asking for a specific decision, and that the committee “made the right decision”. Coincidence or political pressure disguised as a friendly call? 🤔⚽