Donald Trump credited FIFA President Gianni Infantino for the decision to rescind the red card shown to U.S. forward Folarin Balun ahead of the United States’ crucial round‑of‑16 match against Belgium, a game the Americans ultimately lost 4‑1.
Trump and Infantino appeared together on a stage in the atrium of Trump Tower ahead of a FIFA Council meeting on the Friday before the World Cup final. As Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” played, the two stood at the podium for two minutes and fifteen seconds until the song concluded, after which Infantino spoke and then yielded the floor to Trump.
Both men highlighted the tournament’s successes, noting record attendances and television viewership. Infantino thanked Trump for staging “the greatest human social and cultural event that mankind has ever witnessed.”
During his remarks, Trump revived his claim that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen,” echoing unverified assertions he made in a primetime television address the previous night, in which he alleged Chinese interference.
He said, “I was supposed to be president for eight years; had I won in 2020, I would have left office before the 2026 World Cup. The polls indicated it, everyone saw it, they rigged the election. And what did I receive? I got the World Cup, I got the Olympics, and I brought them here.”
Speaking about the tournament’s popularity, Trump turned to the performance of the U.S. men’s national team.
“You had unforgettable moments, such as when they showed that gentleman a red card,” Trump remarked. “I felt compelled to call Gianni and make a recommendation. I told him, ‘I’d like to lodge a complaint.’ In truth, I had no idea what would follow.”
Trump appeared pleased with the outcome.
“It’s much better this way,” he said. “There’s no controversy; we won the game and kept all our players. Think about it—if he had kept him off the field, critics would argue we would have won with our best players. So Gianni made yet another of his many sound decisions.”
Later, Trump suggested he would like the United States to host another World Cup, but “this time we’ll leave Mexico and Canada out,” a comment that elicited laughter from the assembled dignitaries.
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