Trump Confirms the FIFA Fix: “I Asked for a Review” — and Pre-Calls Tonight’s Game “Rigged” If America Loses

At the White House today he smeared the referee — “check his past” — claimed the World Cup as his own, and said a Belgium win would be “rigged, just like the election was rigged in 2020.”

Trump confirmed today he personally asked FIFA to reverse Folarin Balogun’s red card — then spent ten minutes at a White House podium relitigating the call, smearing the referee, and claiming the World Cup as his own. “I spoke to Johnny,” he said of FIFA president Gianni Infantino. “I asked for a review… I didn’t tell him what to do. I can’t tell him what to do.” FIFA erased the suspension Sunday. Balogun plays Belgium tonight, in a Round of 16 game Trump says fifty million Americans will watch.

“That wasn’t a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction,” Trump said of the red card. “These were two great athletes that got tangled up.” Then he turned on the official who issued it: “This referee is a little bit suspect if you check his past… I don’t wanna say that because I don’t like to create controversy. But very suspect. If you’d like, I’ll provide you with the past.” A sitting president offered the White House press corps a dossier on a World Cup referee.