Trump on FIFA overturning suspension of red card for American soccer player
President Donald Trump talks about his direct involvement in urging FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review a controversial red card issued to an American player. Trump criticizes the referee’s ‘terrible’ call and considers it unfair to remove a top player for a collision. He celebrates FIFA’s ‘brilliant decision’ to overturn the ban, ensuring the best players compete in the hugely successful World Cup.
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Thursday that President Donald Trump will attend Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino only said last month on “Fox & Friends” that Trump would enter the contest, but it is now official.
Leavitt said Trump’s attendance will be “a fitting end to a tournament that demonstrated America’s ability to host the world on the biggest stage.”
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino shakes hands with US President Donald Trump as he receives the FIFA Peace Prize during the official draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (Hector Vivas – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Infantino said he and Trump will deliver the FIFA World Cup trophy to the winning team’s captain on the pitch.
“We will be with the president and enjoy the final and present the trophy to the winner, together of course,” Infantino said.
Trump and Infantino did the same last year at the FIFA Club World Cup final, also at the New Jersey stadium, when Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3-0. The appearance came a year after an assassination attempt on President Trump in Pennsylvania.
The President attended the trophy ceremony and presented awards to the players and referees after Chelsea won the match. Trump remained on stage for the celebration, causing some confusion.
“I knew he was going to be here, but I didn’t know he was going to be in the stands when we lifted the trophy, so I was a bit confused,” Chelsea’s Cole Palmer said after the game.
Trump became embroiled in one of the biggest controversies of the World Cup, calling Infantino and requesting a review of Folarin Balogun’s red card. Balogun was immediately suspended for Team USA’s round of 16 match, but he was later ruled eligible for the match.
President Donald Trump, Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico, and Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, pose for a selfie with Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, during the official draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on December 5, 2025. (Hector Vivas/FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
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“All I did was I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a mistake,” Trump said. “And again, I’m good at this. I didn’t think it was a foul. I thought it was two big athletes crashing into each other and getting tangled up. It wasn’t a guy punching somebody in the face or anything, it would be different.
“I think it’s terrible … if they wouldn’t allow a top player, maybe the best, maybe among the best on the team, to play, I think it would have had a big stain. I passed it on. I didn’t tell him what to do. I don’t think he made the decision. I think it was a committee that made the decision and they made the right decision because, no, and you wanted to see a game. best players.”
Balogun admitted to CBS that he “could almost see a little bit of nerves in my teammates” as the controversy unfolded.
Trump has yet to attend a World Cup match, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio was seen at the US men’s national team’s opening game against Paraguay, a 4-1 win, on June 12.
The president was awarded the first FIFA Peace Prize at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, during the World Cup finals in December.
United States President Donald Trump receives the FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the official draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 5, 2025 in Washington, DC (Jia Haocheng – Pool/Getty Images)
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Trump recently attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden while the White House hosted UFC Freedom 250 last month. An IndyCar race will take place in Washington, DC next month.
