Whether he intended to or not, President Donald Trump has managed to throw some serious mud all over the World Cup Tournament after USA Striker Folarin Balogun had his red card reversed by FIFA, a day after the President spoke with FIFA Presidnet Gianni Infantino to review the red card ruling.
On Sunday the ruling, which levied a one-game suspension of Balogun for stomping on the ankle of an opponent for the Bosnia-Herzgovina team was lifted and delayed for up to a year after the tournament.
As one can imagine all hell has broken loose since. USA plays Belgium tonight, and Balogun is eligible to play in the Round of 16 game in Seattle.
Both Trump and Infantino tried to put out the conspiracy theory flames to no avail. Instead the controversy has only gotten bigger as fans, pundits, politicians, and even people who don't follow soccer ... er ... football throw their collective two cents in.
Said President Trump on Monday, "All I did was ask for a review. I didn't say, you have to do this. This man is a smart, tough man, Gianni Infantino. He's a smart, tough man, and his stock has gone through the roof because the job he has done has been great. I feel like we have to have all the best players on the field."
Infantino said he regularly speaks with President Trump about the World Cup, adding he also speaks with other world leaders about the tournament as well, and that the President's words had no bearing on the decision to lift the suspension.
" I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA's independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how FIFA's system works..." Infantino said.
The decision of course has ruffled a lot of feathers. Belgium coach Rudi Garcia called the decision something akin to April Fool's Day. Moreover Belgium tried to challenge the ruling as it prepared for tonight's game, however FIFA rejected its request for an explanation citing the appeal as inadmissible.
The controversy has now stirred up reports by The Sun that Belgium is prepared to demand that Team USA be kicked out of the World Cup because of this ruling.
Confirming its appeal against Balogun’s clearance to play had been rejected, Belgium said: “To date, the Royal Belgian FA has still not received any grounds for this decision, nor has it received the information it has been requesting since the start of this procedure.
“Fifa has yet to provide us with a copy of the decision and the motivation declaring the player eligible as well as the referee’s report – this is a breach of Fifa regulations
“The RBFA has informed the United States Soccer Federation that it contests the eligibility of the player, should the player be listed on the referee’s team sheet. This leaves all further actions open.” (The Sun July 6).
You get all that? Yeah, you are forgiven if you are confused. It's a lot to process, especially when different leagues are now getting involved trying to leverage their way into the matter.
Here's the bottom line, just the fact that the President had anything to say at all about the controversial ruling, and took matters into his own hands creates a stink that nobody wanted to deal with. America is not popular in Europe (when is it ever), and Trump has been the source of scorn for Europeans ever since his first term.
We get it, they don't like him.
Trump and Infantino could be telling the truth, but Pandora's Box is already open. The embarrassment is real, and the chaos is only growing. The very idea that political intervention, even in the smallest sense, happened compromises the integrity of the rest of the tournament. It just does.
For U.S. fans like myself who don't really follow the World Cup at all, imagine if this was the National Football League, and the New England Patriots best defensive player was suspended from the divisional round of the playoffs for a late helmet to helmet hit. The call looked questionable, but the player was flagged and tossed anyway. Then Bob Kraft talks to Trump, and Trump then talks to Commissioner Roger Goodell, and magically that player who was suspended is suddenly playing in the divisional round.
People would lose their minds.
Stephen A. Smith would be beside himself.
Christopher Mad Dog Russo would be going nuts on First Take.
Colin Cowherd would pop several blood vessels.
Craig Carton would decry 'why can't good things like this happen to the Jets?!'
You know what would happen.
That's what we are looking at here with the World Cup on a grander, more complex stage of International sports.
It's not good, and it just puts a horrible stench all over the tournament and Team USA's efforts the longer they keep playing.
But I am sure to the President, this controversy just guaranteed his favorite thing: ratings.
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