Brazilian Football Confederation to Trump: "Do Not Insult the Referee"

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has issued a direct rebuttal to U.S. President Donald Trump, who publicly criticized the officiating of a Brazilian referee during a 2026 North and Central American World Cup match.
In a statement sent to AFP on July 6 (local time), the Brazilian Football Confederation declared, "There is no basis to distrust or cast any doubt on the career of referee Raphael Claus."
The statement further emphasized, "We reject any insinuation or insult that calls into question the integrity of referee Claus. He is an exemplary professional."
According to the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, Claus is a veteran referee who has officiated a total of 447 matches as a head referee, assistant referee, fourth official, and Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
Of these, he has served as the head referee in 263 matches in the Brazilian first division alone.
In 2024, he also served as the head referee for the Copa America final.
This marks his second World Cup appearance, following the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
At that time, he officiated the group stage matches between England and Iran, and Morocco and Canada. In this year's World Cup, he has been in charge of two matches: Spain vs. Saudi Arabia and the United States vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Claus, with such an extensive background, came under fire from President Trump due to the World Cup Round of 32 match between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina held on July 2.
During that match, U.S. national team striker Folarin Balogun received a red card for stepping on an opponent's ankle, which initially made him ineligible to play in the Round of 16.
However, FIFA suspended the ban for one year, allowing Balogun to participate in the Round of 16.
The issue lies in the circumstances surrounding President Trump's involvement in this process.
President Trump sparked controversy by calling FIFA President Gianni Infantino and requesting a review of the decision to give Balogun a red card.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.