President Trump Defends FIFA Decision, Advocates for US Hosting the 2034 World Cup
The USMNT has long been out of the 2026 World Cup, but a recent controversy involving a red card issued to Folarin Balogun has left many scratching their heads. President Donald Trump recently weighed in on the matter, distancing himself from the fallout of his phone call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino that reportedly led to Balogun being allowed to play in the Round of 16 against Belgium.
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Speaking at a FIFA reception at Trump Tower, Trump emphasized that he had no idea what would happen after the call and credited Infantino for allowing Balogun to play. ‘This has been a tournament like no other, filled with fierce competition and unforgettable moments,’ Trump said. ‘Probably the most unforgettable is when they gave that gentleman — is it a red card? And I was forced to call Gianni and just make a recommendation. I said ‘Gianni, I’d like to make a recommendation. Let the guy in the game!’ No, I didn’t say that. I said, ‘I’d like to wage a complaint.’ I had no idea what was going to happen.’
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Trump’s comments come as a surprise to many, given the controversy surrounding his phone call to Infantino. It has since been reported that the decision to suspend the red card was made solely by FIFA disciplinary chair Mohammad al-Kamali and without input from any of the 17 other members of the disciplinary committee.
The USMNT lost 4-1 to Belgium, and Trump’s remarks have only added fuel to the fire. However, Trump remains optimistic about the future of the World Cup in the United States. ‘I say what we should do is, you should choose the United States of America again,’ Trump said. ‘This time we’ll leave Canada and Mexico out, but then what you do is you — I was very nice to get them in — but what you do is, you choose us but you pick somebody else for the next one, and that will take some of the anger, hatred and steam out of everyone.’
Trump’s comments also touched on the recent England vs. Argentina match, in which England manager Thomas Tuchel made the decision to go full defense while holding a 1-0 lead. Trump expressed his disapproval of this decision, stating that it was ‘a little unusual.’ ‘What do I know about soccer? They took the lead and they took their best player, and they put him on defense,’ Trump said. ‘Then somehow… We got to be a little offensive, right? But no, I’m not gonna call it. Look, what do I know about coaching? I thought that was a little unusual, but Harry is a great guy actually.’
As for the 2034 World Cup, Trump is adamant that the United States should host the tournament. ‘I’d like the U.S. to host the World Cup again, and soon,’ Trump said. ‘We could do it China and the United States for next time. We could do it China and the United States, so you have a nice short flight in between games. The players would love that.’
The 2030 World Cup will be hosted jointly by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, while the 2034 World Cup will be hosted by Saudi Arabia.
Overall, Trump’s comments have only added to the controversy surrounding the World Cup. However, one thing is clear: the United States will be a major player in the future of the tournament.
