this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2026
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President Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to discuss the red card given to Team USA’s Folarin Balogun during Wednesday night’s game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, an person familiar with the conversation told The Hill. Trump later cheered the reversal, calling it an “injustice.”

FIFA said its independent panel overturned the red card suspension for Monday’s game.

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[–] shweddy@lemmy.world 151 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I dont even like soccer and this is fucking bullshit

[–] theunknownmuncher@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

I mean that red card was actually total bullshit.

[–] hopesdead@startrek.website 105 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

That part doesn’t matter. If FIFA is getting a sitting leader of one of the host country governments to interfere with the outcome, it just signals how little the United States cares about the tournament or the sport. FIFA can totally come out and reverse the ruling and tell us why. The fact that they won’t and we are hearing that Trump is involved, will make the world have more distrust. We already denied visas to the referees, players and fans from many countries who wanted to come here for the tournament. This is blatantly cheating.

If the United States team wants to save face, they need to have Balogun sit out the game tomorrow.

[–] moustachio@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

You really going to pretend FIFA isn’t already a corrupt clown show? That’s wild.

[–] hopesdead@startrek.website 14 points 3 weeks ago (9 children)

I am not. I already know they are.

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[–] Aceofspades@lemmy.ca 107 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Whether the red card was bullshit or not it irrelevant. Sports fans everywhere know that shit calls get made. The issue is that a sitting president called up his buddy who happens to be the president of FIFA and had it overturned. That is fucking insane.

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[–] homes@piefed.world 35 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] orgrinrt@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I have to say, this is so strangely captivating, I can’t stop looking at it honestly! Weirdly in sync between the two very different approaches! I have zero idea why this is so enthralling but I couldn’t just scroll away without explicitly voicing my confused enjoyment, so peculiar

[–] Wrufieotnak@feddit.org 7 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

I think its simply empathy, both are looking like they have a fun time and we want to join them.

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[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 3 weeks ago

It's prob in sync because they're both doing it in time to a song or a chant

[–] khannie@lemmy.world 27 points 3 weeks ago (9 children)

Unfortunately anything beyond this point is tainted. The only thing that can save this is the USA coach deliberately not fielding Balogun.

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[–] rozodru@piefed.world 26 points 3 weeks ago

i.e. someone within trumps inner circle or trump himself had a bet placed on mondays game and called in a favour.

[–] twinnie@feddit.uk 24 points 3 weeks ago (7 children)

A lot of people saying he shouldn’t even have gotten a red card because he didn’t do it on purpose; it was a reckless tackle and the injury was potentially career ending. If a drunk driver kills a kid you don’t let them of with a slap on the wrist because it was an oopsie.

[–] theunknownmuncher@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

if a drunk driver kills a kid

Bit of a false equivalency. Two players trying to play the ball and walking into each other happens all the time. Extremely disingenuous to call it a "tackle". Making the choice to get behind the wheel while drunk is not the same thing at all

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[–] Kondeeka@lemmy.world 19 points 3 weeks ago (10 children)

Reminder of the sponsors of this tournament:

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[–] Faithless@lemmy.world 15 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Funny. The American ambassador in Belgium has claimed trump didn’t and wouldn’t ever do something like that

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[–] JenitalJouster@lemmy.zip 15 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

the red card was def harsh don’t get me wrong. balogun clearly didn’t mean to do that, but it’s understandable to preserve a level of safety in the game. you have FIFA saying at first that the FA will not rescind the red card given to balogun, then suddenly the president himself calls infantino and now the red card is suspended? come on. had this happened to belgium there would be uproar from so many americans. it is 1)insanely corrupt and 2) sets a very bad precedent cause now any country can just ask to get their bookings for players reversed. this is getting long but anyways please pirate all your world cup games!!

Edit: LOOOOOLLL GET FUCKED AMERIKKKA daddy trump literally cheated for them and they still lost what a bunch of clowns

[–] JcbAzPx@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago

This is hardly a new precedent. This is just fifa being fifa.

[–] deltapi@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

please pirate all your world cup games!!

Way ahead of you there.

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[–] NewNewAugustEast@lemmy.zip 13 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

So annoying. Government should not give a fuck about games.

Worse, the people who should care, the sports fans, just keep throwing their money at fifa.

We are all fucked. Corporate sports and government grift, and people cant stop watching and/or don't care.

[–] blackbeans@lemmy.zip 12 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

I will exitedly open up a nice Belgian beer if they can make Trump angry this Tuesday.

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[–] green_goglin@thelemmy.club 12 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Yet again, everything he touches turns to absolute dogshit.

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[–] stickly@lemmy.world 12 points 3 weeks ago

Really funny seeing people sob over the integrity of the sport as if FIFA isn't actively buying votes to line their pockets and hosting tournaments to sports-wash theocratic slave states (USA included).

The card system never made sense for international knockout play anyway because one ref with a grudge can, more or less, unilaterally eject a team from the tournament. Almost nobody has the depth to deal with a red card.

[–] Danarchy@lemmy.nz 11 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

I’m surprised he’d intervene for a black dude

[–] Zizzy@lemmy.blahaj.zone 17 points 3 weeks ago

You have to understand its not about intervening for a black dude. To them and other rich racist assholes, they see the players as animals there to serve them. In this case serving as entertainment. They would be just as upset if their cock fighting chicken got penalized.

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[–] Switorik@sh.itjust.works 10 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

The best thing that could happen is the team refuses to play. By continuing to play, you are part of the problem.

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[–] stumu415@lemmy.zip 9 points 3 weeks ago

Corruption is spelled FIFA.

[–] inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

So once again the world proves yet again whatever Trump touches turns to shit as the US loses 4 to fucking 1.

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[–] HenriVolney@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 weeks ago

USA - Unscrupulous Scam Alliance

[–] FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca 7 points 3 weeks ago

THAT'S CORRUPTION!

[–] Marija@lemmy.zip 6 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

Politics and sports shouldn't be mixed

[–] stickly@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

Sports have always been political. Look back at history to see states banning everything besides horse riding and archery for military reasons. Look at the Nika riots burning half of Constantinople. Look at the class politics of early professional teams.

"Sports shouldn't be political" is a modern political invention to insulate leisure-as-distraction from the burning and looting going on all around us.

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[–] DJKJuicy@sh.itjust.works 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Bad calls are part of every sport. It happens. Rules are rules, and if the there is no official instant replay or challenge procedure then the call stands. Rules are fucking rules.

This is no longer about a bad call. It's about integrity.

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[–] PodPerson@lemmy.zip 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

“An person”? I didn’t read the article but I can’t take a publication seriously if they can’t get that right.

[–] TowardsTheFuture@lemmy.zip 7 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Reads like a shitty AI summary of an article with “an anonymous person” or something.

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[–] derAbsender@piefed.social 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
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[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Well, the 2026 world cup is officially as enshittified as Don's diaper. I had a bad feeling at "hydration breaks".

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[–] tirateimas@lemmy.pt 5 points 3 weeks ago

Infantino should give him another made up prize

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