Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has responded to a remarkable Donald Trump press conference amid the World Cup controversy involving USMNT star Folarin Balogun
17:52, 06 Jul 2026
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher.
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher.(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
US president Donald Trump has attempted to justify his wading into FIFA's decision to suspend the ban given to Folarin Balogun at the World Cup.
Trump claimed soccer's world governing body has "made the right decision" to make USMNT forward Balogun eligible to take on Belgium, adding it would have left a "big stain" on the tournament had it been implemented.
Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said he had asked FIFA to review the decision because he "didn't think it was a foul." It has not been overturned, however, but suspended for a year, with an obvious question, clearly, about the timing.
"Unbelievable this," Jamie Carragher wrote on X. "He thinks he's helping (Gianni) Infantino, but every word he mutters is ruining him even more."
According to The Athletic, after the USMNT's Balogun was allowed to play against Belgium, France has lodged an appeal to FIFA to get Michael Olise's yellow card overturned.
Bayern Munich ace Olise was cautioned against Paraguay in a game that was officiated remarkably. France picked up three bookings, while the South American side somehow managed to avoid any.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino and U.S. President Donald Trump on the red carpet prior the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump have been criticized over the Folarin Balogun red card suspension(Image: (Photo by Tasos Katopodis - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images))
"I thought (the Balogun tackle) was two great athletes who crashed into each other and got entangled," Trump continued.
"I think [the suspension] would have left a big stain. I can't tell them what to do. I don't believe they made the decision; I believe it was the commission that made the decision. And it was the right decision."
Trump also claimed that the referee, Raphael Claus, made a "horrible" decision and suggested the Brazilian's performance was "a little bit suspect."
The Belgian Football Association said in a statement that it opposed the decision to make Balogun available.
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"Regardless of the sporting outcome of this match, the RBFA is deeply concerned by the course of events," it said.
"(We) will continue to fight in the coming hours, days and months in defense of the fundamental principles of ethics, fair competition, and the interests of football as a whole."
The appeal was eventually denied a few hours before the match's scheduled kick-off.
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Liverpool.com says: Carragher is right, of course. Trump influencing FIFA is not a good look, and this is not the only example. Cristiano Ronaldo's ban at the start of the competition was suspended so that he could play for Portugal.