Brazilian Football Confederation Defends Referee Against Trump's Criticism

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 the 2026 North and Central America World Cup.
In a statement sent to AFP on July 6 (local time), the CBF declared, "There is no basis in the career of referee Raphael Claus to distrust him or cast any doubt upon him."
The statement continued, "We reject any insinuation or insult that questions the integrity of referee Claus. He is an exemplary professional."
According to the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, Claus is a veteran who has officiated a total of 447 matches as a head referee, assistant referee, fourth official, and Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
Among these, he has served as the head referee in 263 matches in the Brazilian first division and was the head referee for the 2024 Copa América final.
This marks his second World Cup appearance, following the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
During the 2022 tournament, 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 faced criticism from President Trump following 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.
During this process, President Trump sparked controversy by speaking with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and requesting a review of the decision to issue a red card to Balogun.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.