Avoiding Trump's Ire: 'World Cup' Was a Taboo Topic at NATO Summit

The British newspaper The Guardian reported on July 8 (local time), citing officials, that an unofficial agreement was reached to avoid bringing up the subject of the "World Cup" in front of U.S. President Donald Trump during the NATO summit held in Turkey.

This "tacit agreement" appears to be linked to the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun, which was ignited by President Trump just before the summit began.

The intention was to avoid any topic that might provoke the U.S. President, who was already expected to pressure other leaders to increase defense spending and criticize them for "free-riding" as he arrived from across the globe.

The "Balogun controversy" refers to an incident in which President Trump intervened after U.S. national team star striker Folarin Balogun was sent off for a foul during the Round of 32 match on July 2, resulting in a one-match suspension.

The core of the issue is that President Trump allegedly called FIFA President Gianni Infantino directly to have the sanction overturned so that the U.S. team could maintain its strength for the subsequent Round of 16 match.

While acknowledging the phone call, President Trump claimed that the foul call against Balogun was unjust and that he had only requested a review of the decision.

Despite the noisy controversy, the U.S. national team, which advanced to the Round of 16 on July 7, suffered a 4-1 crushing defeat against Belgium, leading to mockery about "Trump's karma."

Consequently, concerns arose among NATO leaders gathered in Ankara, Turkey, that bringing up the World Cup as a conversation topic might provoke President Trump before the noise from the incident had even settled.

In fact, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever hinted at this atmosphere indirectly.

In a TV interview reported on July 7, while celebrating the Belgian team's victory, he remarked regarding President Trump, "I will not be the one to bring it up first."

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