"World Cup Turned Into All About Trump… U.S. Self-Sabotages Soft Power"

▲ U.S. President Trump / FIFA President Infantino

Local media outlets have voiced criticism regarding U.S. President Donald Trump’s direct contact with FIFA to overturn the suspension of U.S. national team player Folarin Balogun (25, AS Monaco) at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In an editorial titled "Referee Donald Trump" published on July 7 (local time), the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) pointed out, "The world was just beginning to view the U.S. positively thanks to this tournament, and that was exactly when the President made the call (to FIFA)."

The WSJ criticized, "President Trump insisted that Balogun’s foul was not a foul at all, citing his years of experience watching sports on TV, and unfairly attacked the ethics of the referee, claiming, 'I know a lot about this stuff.'"

The editorial continued, "As a result, the U.S. team had to play under the shadow of suspicion regarding political interference, and even if the U.S. team had won the match, the label of 'Trump' would have followed them."

The WSJ noted, "What is regrettable is that this team is by far the best U.S. national team in World Cup history, and that Americans have been cheering for the team with inspiring patriotism."

The WSJ also highlighted, "This World Cup showed soccer fans from all over the world the friendly and humble side of Americans that they had not encountered in the media, and it was an encouraging site that showcased U.S. soft power (cultural influence, not military or economic)."

It further criticized, "President Trump’s intervention has turned this entire World Cup into a story about Trump."

Mentioning the U.S. national team’s crushing defeat to Belgium in the subsequent match, the WSJ added, "It is unclear whether the red card controversy affected the game, but it would have been better for the players if there had been no intervention from Trump."

Previously, one day before the Round of 16 match between the U.S. and Belgium, FIFA suspended the one-year ban on Balogun, who had received a red card during the Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 2.

U.S. media reported that President Trump had personally called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a reconsideration of the disciplinary action, a fact that President Trump later acknowledged.

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