Jürgen Klopp held nothing back. The German coach erupted on ‘MagentaTV’ after it became known that FIFA had rescinded the suspension of American striker Florian Balogun, just before the round-of-16 clash between the United States and Belgium at the 2026 World Cup.
According to ‘AFP’ and ‘The New York Times’, Donald Trump personally called Gianni Infantino to ask him to review the red card. Klopp did not let it slide: “If Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino really fixed this between themselves, it’s madness; it calls everything into question”. And he went further: “These two people, who know nothing about football, should have absolutely nothing to do with this. This is our sport, not theirs”.
The coach even floated an idea that is already circulating among fans: the United States could decide not to field Balogun so as not to win under suspicion. Meanwhile, the Norwegian Stale Solbakken described the decision as “awful, awful, awful” and warned that any American victory will be marked forever.