Columnist warns Trump’s FIFA call could set precedent in sports
Christine Brennan said Trump’s role in a FIFA suspension case raises questions for future international events hosted in the U.S.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
The U.S. men’s soccer team’s World Cup ended with a 4-1 loss to Belgium, but a disciplinary controversy surrounding striker Folarin Balogun continued after the match. USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan told NPR that President Donald Trump’s call to FIFA over Balogun’s suspension created a concern that could extend beyond this tournament.
NPR reported that Belgium beat the United States on Monday in a Round of 16 match at Seattle Stadium in Seattle. The loss ended the U.S. men’s run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Balogun had been eligible to play against Belgium after FIFA delayed his suspension by one year, NPR reported. He had received a red card during the United States’ July 1 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
NPR reported that Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino before FIFA’s decision on Balogun’s suspension. An official with knowledge of the call, granted anonymity by NPR to discuss a private conversation, said Trump wanted to understand why Balogun had received a red card and suspension.
Trump praised FIFA after the decision. In a Sunday post on Truth Social quoted by NPR, Trump wrote, “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!”
Brennan, speaking with NPR’s Morning Edition, said the episode stood out in her experience covering sports. “I have never covered a story in which a head of state actually inserted him or herself into the field of play,” Brennan said, according to NPR.
NPR reported that Brennan said it was not clear how much the controversy affected the U.S. team in the 36 hours before the Belgium match. U.S. captain Tim Ream said the team was not distracted, according to NPR.
Brennan disagreed with what she saw on the field. NPR reported that she described the U.S. performance as “ugly, sloppy, unfocused.”
The issue, Brennan told NPR, is not limited to one player or one match. She said Trump’s involvement could create a “slippery slope” for international sports competitions, especially with the United States set to host the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
FIFA’s decision allowed Balogun to appear in the Belgium match despite the earlier red card, NPR reported. After the United States lost, attention returned to whether a political leader’s direct outreach to soccer’s governing body had influenced a disciplinary matter.
NPR described FIFA’s decision as controversial. Brennan’s warning focused on what could follow if national leaders press sports governing bodies over penalties, suspensions or other competition decisions tied to their countries’ athletes.
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.