Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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President Donald Trump’s call to FIFA has sparked one of the biggest controversies of the World Cup.
After Team USA striker Folarin Balogun received a red card, FIFA unexpectedly reversed his suspension just days before the United States’ knockout match against Belgium. Soon after, President Trump revealed that he had personally urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the decision—raising questions about whether politics should ever influence international sports.
Michael Smerconish examines the controversy, explores FIFA’s explanation for reversing the suspension, discusses the precedent behind the decision, and asks whether Trump’s intervention helped Team USA or undermined the integrity of the tournament.
Is this simply a case of correcting a bad call? Or does it leave an asterisk on America’s World Cup run?
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