Trump confirms asking FIFA to re-evaluate red card – RTP Madeira

“I asked for a reevaluation because I didn’t think it was a mistake,” Trump said at a White House event.

The President of the United States also felt that the red card rules were unfair and called the referee’s performance during the match between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina “very questionable.”

“It wasn’t a foul, or even an infraction. It was two players who were running at high speed who collided. It’s like you can’t put your foot on someone else’s foot when you’re running. No. It’s two great athletes who got involved in a game, and this referee, who is a little suspicious, if you look at his past,” he stressed.

“I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul and, you know, I repeat, I’m good at these things. I didn’t think it was a foul. I thought it was two great athletes colliding and meddling. It wasn’t one player hitting another in the face or anything like that,” he added.

Trump also said that the review of Balogun’s tackle on Bosnian Tarik Muharemović, carried out by Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, was done in slow motion, which in his opinion should not have happened, although he admitted that until now he was unaware that it was a relevant question.

“They say they don’t show these moves in slow motion, and I’ve never noticed that. I’ve never heard that it’s not allowed to watch them in slow motion again, but it makes a big difference,” he argued.

Today in Nyon, Switzerland, UEFA accused FIFA of “crossing a red line” by withholding the red card from North American footballer Folarin Balogun, the team’s top scorer, so that he could face Belgium in the 2026 World Cup.

“Football, like any other sport, is based on rules which provide the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition. Sometimes the rules are subject to interpretation. In this case, no,” UEFA said in a statement.

The highest body of European football says it is incredulous and accuses FIFA of having taken an “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable” decision, accusing the highest body of world football of having “crossed a red line” in the rules of the sport.

“The automatic minimum suspension of a match after a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require the decision of a competent body to be implemented. It is a principle enshrined in the regulations, which does not admit of exceptions, even less in the middle of a tournament, in which several other players have already found themselves in the same situation and have served their suspension,” underlines UEFA.

The European organization also affirms that when the rules are no longer guaranteed by those responsible, “the integrity of the game is in danger” and “the credibility of the competition is undermined”.

The Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs also today found FIFA’s decision incomprehensible, calling into question Donald Trump’s political intervention.

“If a phone call really explains this incomprehensible decision, it would be a blatant violation of the most basic rules of football and sport,” Maxime Prévot said in a statement.

“It would be very serious. How could FIFA still credibly defend ‘fair play’?” he declared a few hours before the match between Belgium and the United States.

FIFA on Sunday lifted the one-match suspension imposed on North American striker Folarin Balogun, saying the sanction was suspended for a one-year probationary period and after the player received a red card for hitting an opponent’s heel from behind.

“The suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year. In the event that Folarin Balogun commits another offense of similar nature and seriousness during the probationary period, the suspension will be revoked and the sanction applied, without prejudice to any additional sanctions imposed for the new offense,” FIFA announced in a statement.

For this decision, FIFA relied on article 27 of its disciplinary code, which establishes that “the competent body may decide to suspend, totally or partially, the execution of a disciplinary measure”.

FIFA’s position came days after, according to reports from the New York Times, the Associated Press and the Guardian, Trump spoke by telephone with Infantino to request that Balogun’s suspension be lifted.

The White House confirmed the call, but did not reveal whether a specific request had been made by Trump, who however reacted on social media: “Thank you, FIFA, for doing the right thing and overturning a great injustice.”

The United States and Belgium will face each other tomorrow morning (1 a.m. in Lisbon), in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, scheduled for Lumen Field in Seattle.

Lusa