How Donald Trump corrupted the World Cup with one phone call

Donald Trump, winner of the first (and so far only) FIFA Peace Prize, called in a favour with the head of the global football association to save a US player from the red card.

The President helped US Soccer overturn a one-match suspension given to Folarin Balogun with a phone call to Gianna Infantino, FIFA president, and the man who awarded Trump with the made-up prize in 2025.

It's the first time a World Cup red card has been overturned since 1962, and FIFA's decision has been described by the president as "a great injustice", which has now been reversed.

Trump denies having influenced FIFA’s decision, saying he didn’t know what a red card was, despite insisting there was no foul on the pitch. He says he simply requested a “review”.

Balogun was sent off during a match against Bosnia-Herzegovina for standing on the rival team's defender's foot. US Soccer made a complaint after VAR was used to determine what had happened during the incident.

Emily Maitlis describes Trump's intervention as one of the most "egregious interceptions" ever seen at a World Cup tournament.

According to reporting by the New York Times, the call was made on Thursday night (after the red card was issued during a US clash with Belgium).

Donald Trump’s ‘gross, improper’ intervention

Jon Sopel attended the match at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, and describes the atmosphere inside the venue as fantastic, and a showcase of all that fans love about the World Cup.

The politics of the competition, now dragged through the mud by Trump, he describes as "ugly" and "reprehensible".

"It's just a gross interference, it's absolutely improper," Jon says.

"For Donald Trump to do this means that this isn't about sport anymore, and maybe we're naive in this, but the beautiful game is about politics.

"It's about crude muscle, and Donald Trump is just throwing his weight around."

The News Agents agree that the World Cup 2026, so far, had otherwise been a success – with the sport eclipsing concerns over empty seats and price gouging ahead of the event.

The White House claims Trump was simply 'trying to understand the rules better', but it has been reported that other members of Trump's administration also phoned the FIFA boss, and who hired lawyers to assist in US soccer's appeal against the ban.

"Let the football authorities. Let the referees decide," Jon says.

"It's Donald Trump's intervention that has made the difference here, and this belief that Donald Trump has total impunity, total unfettered power, and as America celebrates its 250th birthday, it's manifesting itself in the most unlikely of places."

Has Trump ruined the World Cup for the American team, players and fans?

The backlash to Trump's intervention in FIFA's decision will, Jon says, result in ticket holders and viewers of the US team's match against Belgium rooting for the European side to give the American players a "mighty kicking".

"It's going to turn everyone against the United States football team as a result of all of this," he says.

America is hosting the World Cup at the same time as celebrating its 250th anniversary. The US has never won the tournament, and you can bet that Trump would love to see that happen for the first time under his watch.

"The whole 250th anniversary is all about a celebration of throwing off the shackles of tyranny," Maitlis says.

"Here you have Trump deciding that he has to respond as emperor, that he has to respond as king.

"He is not just content with being the US president, he has to be the king of FIFA too."

Trump, Jon adds, probably never even heard of Folarin Balogu until the tournament began, and is now just using the player's name to "flex his muscles" and "make other people bow to him".

Listen to the latest episode of The News Agents.