Trump and Infantino involvement disputed as FIFA reverses Balogun red card at World Cup

Fresh off what was, in spite of everything and largely with no thanks to himself, the tremendous success of the 2026 World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino was always going to find a way to turn that success into a monument to his own vanity and greed. What is surprising is just how quickly he managed to squander whatever undeserved goodwill he had generated during the tournament. On Tuesday, just eight days after Spain won the World Cup for the second time, Infantino and FIFA announced a plan to create a $20 billion subsidiary to ‌run the World Cup and its other events, offering stakes to private investors worth up to 20 percent. The World Cup was for sale, in other words—and, to make matters even more ridiculous, that sale was going to be overseen by Josh Kushner, the brother of President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Where we go from here is anyone’s guess. UEFA, which oversees European soccer, has already unanimously voted to boycott all subsequent FIFA tournaments if the measure passes. Those tournaments very much include the 2030 World Cup, which is set to partially be hosted in Portugal and Spain—and would mean 11 of the top 20–ranked nations in the world would miss out on FIFA’s premier competition. CONCACAF, which oversees soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, voted to “reject” the sell-off hours later. If the backlash grows, Infantino’s presidency—or even FIFA—could be destroyed.How we got here is much clearer, however. The 2026 World Cup, hosted primarily in the United States, was a lesson in avarice for the already power- and money-hungry Infantino. Hobnobbing at every opportunity with the president and his cronies, Infantino came away with a clear lesson: Though he is plenty corrupt and greedy, he wasn’t being corrupt and greedy enough. Modeling both his public persona and his leadership of FIFA increasingly on Trump, Infantino is now making a move that could remake the centerpiece tournament of global soccer—and make him and his allies fabulously wealthy. FIFA, not Trump or America, may have been fully responsible for the 2026 World Cup’s most irritating quirks: the commercial breaks disguised as pauses for “hydration”; the championship rings; the god-awful halftime show; and, of course, the insanely inflated cost of everything. Infantino may be an evangelist for soccer’s power as a force for harmony, togetherness, and collective prosperity, but in practice everything always comes back to the bottom line. For FIFA and its bald president, the United States was an unmissable opportunity to line pockets, and no potential source for revenue was missed. Even the grass on the pitch for the final was sold by the square. There were howls of outrage at Infantino’s brazen profit seeking throughout the tournament. FIFA is ostensibly a nonprofit, but Infantino holds onto power by distributing its revenue to its 211 member nations—many of which are allowed to spend it with minimal, or even nonexistent, oversight. For Infantino, the 2026 World Cup was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver the goods for his clients, as the World Cup is never held in a nation this wealthy and hypercapitalistic. But it also was an opportunity to put his own spin on the World Cup. For Infantino, the World Cup is a luxury experience, one available only to oligarchs and autocrats. It seems clear Infantino increasingly sees himself as the latter—the god emperor of global soccer. For all the deserved grousing about that Americanization—and about Infantino’s cozy, obsequious relationship with Trump—the World Cup was largely a success, at least from Infantino’s perspective. His refusal to speak out when teams were harassed and a Somali referee was literally prevented from entering the U.S. may have been pathetic, while FIFA’s decision to reverse a red card for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun was astonishingly corrupt, even by the organization’s standards. But the outcry that followed those incidents never fully subsumed the competition, which was largely excellent and was, by financial metrics, the most successful (i.e., profitable) in history. One way to read Infantino’s decision to partner with Kushner to quite literally sell the World Cup is that he now feels untouchable. His critics hit him hard and repeatedly during the tournament, but it did not change the fact the World Cup is bigger than any controversy or criticism. Recognizing this, Infantino decided that no one can lay a glove on him because he—not FIFA—owns the World Cup. He is behaving like a king, even more so than usual. Another, however, is that Infantino is tired of his critics and wants to cement his status as the god emperor of global soccer. On Monday, a day before the announcement that he planned to sell a portion of the World Cup to private investors, he released an extraordinarily petulant 15-slide statement on Instagram aimed at his detractors. “Sorry that the matches are now over and sorry that you missed all that joy and togetherness. Sorry that you were so consumed by hate and criticism that you missed it all,” the FIFA president posted on Instagram. “To those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens spreading hate and false rumours, I want to say that while you are sitting behind, we at FIFA are on the frontlines organising, working hard, and delivering ‌the best show in the ‌world.” Infantino is a wealthy and powerful adult, but this is the pose of a 15-year-old who overheard their supposed “friends” picking on them at a school dance. Of course, it also sounds like Trump, who increasingly appears to be Infantino’s hero, idol, and model. The backlash from UEFA—which has waged a proxy war against Infantino for years—should have been predictable. The argument against privatizing the World Cup is obvious and simple: It makes no long-term strategic or financial sense. Owning the World Cup, all of it, is what gives FIFA power. Trading that to investors for a one-time windfall makes no sense at all, especially if those investors respond by depreciating its value by staging more competitions (which seems likely). FIFA, moreover, does not need the money. The 2026 World Cup made at least $15 billion, which is more than enough for it to live off. The only argument for selling off a chunk of the tournament is that it will make the leaders of corrupt federations—and likely Infantino himself—a sizable chunk of change now. Ultimately, that’s how we got here. Infantino spent June and July jetting around the U.S., rubbing shoulders with every member of the Trump administration he could. The lesson he took was not just that he was leaving money on the table by not being more venal, but that there would be no consequences for engaging in more blatant corruption. After all, Trump has turned America into his personal piggybank, and no one is stopping him. How hard could it be for Infantino to do the same thing with the World Cup?

The ever-controversial President of the United States, Donald Trump, was in the middle of yet another contentious situation due to his involvement in getting what would’ve been a one-game suspension for USMNT star Folarin Balogun for being assessed a red card postponed, allowing Balogun to suit up and face Belgium in the round of 16…

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has hit back at critics of ​the World Cup, accusing them of spreading hate and false narratives while defending the tournament as a success that celebrated unity, safety and inclusion.In an open letter published on Monday, Infantino, 56, said detractors had overlooked the joy and togetherness experienced by millions of ‌fans around the ⁠world who ⁠witnessed the tournament, won by Spain and staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico.Also Read: Soccer scores big as 63 million Americans watch FIFA World Cup final"You were so consumed by hate and criticism that ​you missed it all," he said."To those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens spreading hate and false rumours, I ​want to say that while you are sitting behind, we at FIFA are on the front lines organising, working hard, and delivering the best show in the world."We experienced no violence, no incidents, 100% safety and security, only ​joy and happiness!"FIFA faced criticism over a number of issues during the ⁠tournament, including ‌debate over U.S. visa restrictions affecting supporters and officials from several countries and concerns involving ​teams from conflict-hit ​regions.Infantino's letter also followed scrutiny of FIFA's handling of the Folarin Balogun disciplinary case, ⁠a decision to suspend the automatic one-match ban imposed on him after ​his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina following the intervention of U.S. President ​Donald Trump.Officiating decisions in Argentina's match against Egypt also generated widespread debate among fans and pundits.Though Infantino did not refer to specific cases, he argued that many of the refereeing and disciplinary decisions criticised during the tournament were commonplace in various competitions worldwide.Also Read: FIFA's golden goose and the billions behind the beautiful game"Potentially mistaken red or yellow cards or subsequent decisions not to ban players in certain situations are routine and widely accepted in some of the biggest leagues worldwide," he added."It's curious that the ‌same countries employing these practices are the ones criticising."VISA CONTROVERSIESInfantino pointed to the participation of countries facing political tensions, domestic crisis and domestic health challenges as evidence of football's ability to ​transcend divisions.While Iran's ​participation came against the backdrop of ⁠conflict with the U.S., issues surrounding Haiti's domestic crisis and the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo also drew attention to visa and travel restrictions.Somali World Cup referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was barred from entering ​the U.S. despite having a valid visa. "Iran entered the United States without incident or conflict. The Iranian team received visas to enter because football is about peace. It's not about politics," he said."Countries facing serious health issues or other challenges were granted visas."When football brought Haiti to the world, a country that many cannot or choose not to visit, it might be time to set aside your pens and keyboards and show some respect to the teams that played."

The official team photo of Spain’s celebration at Sunday’s World Cup final looks the same as it always does, more or less. Rodri—the team’s jubilant captain and the tournament’s best player—lifts the golden trophy high overhead as his teammates surround him, fists raised, jumping in the air. It’s one of the purest moments in sports. Only 23 teams from eight nations have won the honor. This Spanish squad, only the second in the country’s history to win the cup, made history with a stingy defense that allowed just one goal in eight games. If you look more closely at the photo FIFA shared, though, you’ll notice something odd in the bottom-right corner: a glimpse of a slightly crumpled blue suit. It is a visual metaphor for the 2026 World Cup. President Donald Trump largely stayed out of the way—but he was always there, just out of sight, exerting malign influence. In the case of Spain’s celebration, Trump did exactly what you would expect him to do. After presenting the World Cup trophy with his pal, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, he should have hightailed it out of there so the team could have its moment. But Trump does not let anyone have celebratory moments in his presence without his participation. A year ago, in the very same MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, he inserted himself into Chelsea’s title celebration at the Club World Cup. And so, once again, he awkwardly lingered onstage, even as Infantino tried to pull him off. When Rodri lifted the trophy, Trump was still there. In other photos, you’ll see Infantino patiently explaining to him that he wasn’t supposed to be there. Not like he cares. For Trump, this was his moment and he wasn’t going to let it go to waste—even though he had just been loudly booed by tens of thousands of fans. Trump was largely out of sight at the final, just as he was throughout the tournament. The direst predictions—of his immigration goons running amok, of foreign fans being detained, of political violence—never quite materialized. But it was nevertheless rare to go very long without the president and his noxious regime barging into view. There was Trump blocking a Somali referee from entering the country, on spurious grounds. There was the Uruguayan team being invasively searched by drug dogs. There was Trump getting on the phone to Infantino to demand that he let a suspended U.S. player play.It was a good tournament, in the end. It was very close to a great one. But it will always have Trump’s greasy fingerprints on it. This, coupled with the U.S. Men’s National Team’s embarrassing loss to Belgium in the Round of 16, ensures that the 2026 World Cup will not be fondly remembered by most soccer fans here in the U.S.—even as the tournament created many more of them.It is strange to still hear Trump boast about being “forced” to intervene to get FIFA to let USMNT striker Folarin Balogun play against Belgium after he had received a red card in the previous match. But that’s exactly what he did on Saturday evening, at a press conference where he had been well briefed to sound like he knew the sport—praising Djed Spence, critiquing England manager Thomas Tuchel’s admittedly bizarre tactics. But mostly, he was there to pat himself on the back for his role in the overturning of Balogun’s red card: This has been a tournament like no other, filled with fierce competition, unforgettable moments. Probably the most unforgettable is when they gave that gentleman—is it a red card? And I was forced to call Gianni and just make a recommendation. I said “Gianni, I’d like to make a recommendation. Let the guy in the game!”No, I didn’t say that. I said, “I’d like to wage a complaint.” I had no idea what was going to happen. But, you know, so much better the way it worked out because there’s no controversy. They won the game and our team had all of its players. [Infantino] made another great decision if you think about it. You’ll never get credit for that.It’s a bizarre point to dwell on because, even though Balogun played well, his team got demolished by Belgium, 4-1. Not only that, it was clear that Trump’s intervention had backfired badly. The Belgians were fired up out of the gate, while the U.S. played like sheepish kids who knew the president of the United States had just cheated on their behalf. And pretty much the whole world, outraged over the president’s meddling, was rooting for Belgium. It was the low point of the tournament—for everyone but Trump. No one wanted to see Trump onstage with the Spanish team, either. He was just there because he could be and because he knew that no one could really take it away from him (though they could edit him out of official photographs and videos, as FIFA and Spain’s Soccer Federation did). For Trump, the ability to cheat on the home team’s behalf is just another perk of the office. And for Infantino, who was instrumental in the Balogun Affair, it’s just another piece of client service. Catering to the whims of despots is part of the job of running FIFA. This is nothing new. At the 2022 World Cup trophy lift, the emir of Qatar placed a ceremonial robe over Lionel Messi—meaning his Argentina uniform was obscured in every photo. But this World Cup may have been a new low, thanks to the Trump administration’s treatment of Somali referees, the Iranian national team, and fans. The exorbitant cost of tickets was yet another black mark, though that is already being treated as proof of the tournament’s success. As predicted, this was the most profitable World Cup ever—and for Infantino, that’s all that really counts. It’s tempting to look at the outcome—a Spanish team that privileges selflessness, solidarity, and patience triumphing over an Argentine one that thought it could foul its way to a repeat title—as yet another example of this World Cup’s greatness. After all, a great deal of this tournament did not belong to Trump and Infantino—or, for that matter, to Lionel Messi and the defending champions. This was also the World Cup of Cabo Verde, of “Rock Chalk Algeria,” of Scots taking over Fenway, of Mexico vs. England at the Estadio Azteca, of the U.S. finally becoming a soccer nation. It was a good tournament that ended with the best team winning, which is more or less what the World Cup should be. But the victory over cynicism was far from complete. It’s not clear to me that it’s even a victory. Yes, Spain won and Argentina lost. Yes, Trump is being cropped out of official photographs as if he had done something to upset Stalin. Yes, the worst predictions about MAGA mayhem never materialized. But FIFA and Trump still largely got what they wanted out of it—more money, power, and glory—and that’s a huge loss for the rest of us.

Trump and Infantino appear at Fifa receptionWorld Cup final kicks off on Sunday at 3pm ETDonald Trump credited Fifa president Gianni Infantino for the decision to suspend US striker Folarin Balogun’s red card ahead of his team’s crucial last-16 game against Belgium, which the US eventually lost 4-1.Trump and Infantino were sharing the stage at a reception in the atrium of Trump Tower ahead of a meeting of the Fifa Council on the Friday before Sunday’s World Cup final. The pair entered a stage as Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA played over the loudspeakers, standing at the dais for two minutes and 15 seconds to wait for the entire song to finish before Infantino made his remarks, before then throwing to Trump. Continue reading...

War, racism and Trump: Has corruption overshadowed the 2026 World Cup? Submitted by Elis Gjevori on Tue, 07/14/2026 - 11:01 From travel bans to red card reversals, the World Cup has played out under a cloud of US power and political interference Donald Trump dances after the results of the draw for the 2026 FIFA Football World Cup taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico, at the Kennedy Center, in Washington, DC, on 5 December 2025 (David Ramos/Getty Images via AFP) Off It was supposed to be the biggest World Cup in history: 48 teams, three host nations and a record $9bn in Fifa revenue to more than fill the coffers. Instead, the 2026 World Cup may be remembered for dodgy calls on the pitch and two men off the pitch: Donald Trump, determined to use the tournament to bolster his image, and Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president who seemed only too willing to bend the game to the whims of a capricious US president. Put aside the astronomical ticket prices, the punishing transport costs between matches, and the extreme heat. It became clear early on that this would be an imperial World Cup, shaped by an imperial US presidency. The cloud of corruption and influence-peddling hanging over the current tournament has left some World Cup fans looking back wistfully at the tenure of disgraced former Fifa president Sepp Blatter, who Infantino succeeded. Blatter wrote on X last week that "football must never become a playground for political power". Some fans have even called for the controversial 90-year-old Swiss administrator, who is banned from participating in Fifa activities until 2027, to return to football's governing body as president and "make corruption classy again". Others noted that "Infantino and Fifa are so corrupt that even Sepp Blatter, the chief of corruption, is shocked." Here, Middle East Eye takes a look at the decisions that have clouded the beautiful game's most beautiful tournament. The 'peace prize' As the US and Israel were planning to attack Iran on 28 February, Trump was preparing to receive the first, and likely only, “Fifa Peace Prize”. In December last year, at a gathering hosted for him in Washington, the president walked on stage at what was then called The Donald J Trump and the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts - renamed by Trump in his own honour and later reversed by the US courts - to receive a gold medal and a golden statue. Donald Trump delivers his speech after receiving the FIFA Peace Prize from Fifa President Gianni Infantino during the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup taking place on 5 December 2025 (Sua Loeb/AFP) At the ceremony, Infantino told Trump: “We want to see hope, we want to see unity, we want to see a future. This is what we want to see from a leader and you definitely deserve the first Fifa Peace Prize.” Since then, the US has kidnapped Venezuela's head of state, threatened to invade Greenland, intensified the blockade on Cuba and plunged into a war with Iran. World Cup referee banned Omar Artan is a Somali referee. He was set to become the first official from his country to referee at a World Cup. US authorities denied him entry at Miami International Airport, detained and questioned him for roughly 11 hours, and then deported him, citing “vetting concerns”. A White House official later told reporters Artan had been “talking to some very bad people”. The US provided no evidence to support its claim. But the ban reflected the Trump administration’s hostile approach to Somalia and, in particular, to Somali communities in the US. Trump has made it his mission to insult Somalia and Somali Americans, telling them to “go back to where they came from”. Somalia also sits on Trump’s travel ban list. The travel bans That travel ban cast a deeper shadow over the tournament. Fans from Haiti, Iran, Ivory Coast, Senegal and dozens of other countries found themselves effectively locked out. An Iran fan holds a flag and a ball while waiting for the team at the Marriott Hotel in Tijuana, Mexico, on June 27, 2026. (Guillermo Arias/AFP) A separate visa bond scheme briefly demanded deposits of up to $15,000 from fans from Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia before officials suspended it under pressure. Iran the ‘most oppressed' team  When Israel and the US launched their war on Iran, Trump probably did not expect it to overshadow the World Cup and continue throughout the tournament. The Iranian head coach Amir Ghalenoei said his side had become the “most oppressed” team, after the US did everything possible to wear it down and push it out of the competition. Before the tournament began, Trump wanted to force Iran out and replace them with Italy. The US forced Iran to move their training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico. Officials revoked Iran’s ticket allocation days before the opening match, stranding fans who had already booked travel. An Argentine fan holds cardboard cutouts depicting Argentina's forward Lionel Messi (Odd Andersen/AFP) Players received visas only 10 days before Iran’s first game, while many coaching staff, media personnel and federation officials, including federation president Mehdi Taj, were denied entry altogether. For their first two matches, Iran had to enter the US within 24 hours of kick-off and leave immediately afterwards, cutting training time and denying players proper rest and recovery. Suspensions for Balogun and Ronaldo lifted Before the tournament, Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo had a customary three-match ban for violent conduct commuted by Fifa’s disciplinary committee to a one-game ban, leaving the veteran superstar free to play from the start of the World Cup. Once the football began, nothing captured Washington’s brazen willingness to put its finger on the scale for its own team more than the case of Folarin Balogun. The US striker received a red card in the Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, triggering an automatic one-match suspension under Fifa’s own disciplinary code. Days later, Fifa quietly lifted the ban after Trump called Infantino directly to “review” the decision because the US president believed "no foul" had been committed. Palestinian football fans react as they watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt on a screen in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on 7 July  2026 (Zain Jaafar/AFP) Trump’s public confirmation that he pressured football’s governing body to reverse the decision was unprecedented. It drew immediate backlash from fans and football bodies around the world. Uefa, European football’s governing body, issued a furious statement, accusing Fifa of crossing “a red line” by making an “incomprehensible and unjustifiable” decision to bow to political pressure. According to Fifa’s own account of events, the review cleared Balogun to play in the Round of 16 match against Belgium. The US was roundly thrashed. Argentina vs Egypt The politics grabbed the headlines, but on-pitch decisions, many based on video replays, also caused a backlash. Argentina’s chaotic 3-2 comeback win over Egypt in the Round of 16 produced its own storm over contested VAR calls, compounded by scrutiny of an on-field exchange involving Messi and Egypt’s staff around an anti-racism gesture. Egypt had led 2-0 and appeared on course for a place in the quarter-finals before conceding three late goals. But the result was quickly overshadowed by anger over the officiating, including an Egypt goal ruled out after review, late penalty appeals waved away, and protests from the Egyptian bench before Argentina’s stoppage-time winner. US fans arrive at Seattle Stadium before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between the United States and Belgium on July 6, 2026. (David Ramos/Getty Images via AFP) The anger was also visible on the touchline, where members of Egypt’s coaching staff protested the decisions as players argued with officials. Online, many said the calls denied Egypt a fair chance to advance, turning the match into one of the most fiercely debated games of the knockout stage. Racism in the World Cup Racism also has shadowed the World Cup, with incidents reported inside stadiums, online and around security checks. In the lead-up to Egypt’s match against Argentina, a video circulated online showing an Egypt supporter asking an American security guard whether she was “patting down” only Egyptian fans. At what appeared to be the stadium entrance, the guard replied: “Yeah, because these are the orders coming in right now.” World Cup 2026: Trump says he intervened to overturn red card in what has become a historic scandal Read More » Inside the stadium, tensions escalated. Argentina fans were filmed attacking Egyptian supporters after their side fought back from 2-0 down in the first half.  Other videos and photos posted by fans showed Argentine supporters waving Israeli flags towards Egypt’s coaching staff as they left the pitch. Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has spoken passionately about the plight of Palestinians, especially in Gaza, where Israel has waged a genocidal war since October 2023. Hassan dedicated his team’s World Cup knockout win against Australia to Palestine. “I’m dedicating this victory to the Egyptian people and the Palestinian people,” he told reporters after the match. Fifa has also launched an investigation into a confrontation involving streamer IShowSpeed and a fan at the 3 July World Cup match between Argentina and Cape Verde. IShowSpeed was livestreaming the game and could be heard asking a fan in an Argentina shirt what had been said to him. The fan, speaking in Spanish, appeared to tell IShowSpeed, who is Black, to “go cry to the zoo”. In a separate incident, France star Kylian Mbappe condemned Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla after she posted racist remarks following Paraguay’s defeat to France. Amarilla described Mbappe as a "colonised Cameroonian, desperately trying to pass himself off as French," and a "brute" who had not learned to write. Fifa said on 1 July that “racial abuse is growing and has become a persistent threat to the wellbeing of players.” It said it had identified more than 89,000 abusive posts during the tournament, with 11 percent containing racial abuse. World Cup 2026 News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0