Did Trump just get FIFA to rig a call for Team USA? And does anyone else think this is peak "we can't win without cheating"?
So apparently the White House called up FIFA president Gianni Infantino personally to "review" Balogun's red card after the Bosnia match. Ban gets suspended days later. Trump takes a victory lap on Truth Social thanking FIFA for "reversing a great injustice."
Am I the only one who finds this insane? This isn't some random ref controversy. This is the sitting President of the United States picking up the phone to lean on the head of an international sports organization he's cozy with (free tickets, a literal "peace prize" Infantino invented and gave him), to get a ruling changed in favor of the host nation's team. During a World Cup the US is hosting.
FIFA says the disciplinary panel decided "independently." Sure. Convenient timing though, right?
I'm asking:
Does this taint anything Team USA accomplishes in this tournament, whether Balogun's phone call had any actual effect or not?
Is this just how the US operates now, home field advantage isn't enough, we need presidential lobbying too?