Referee’s past is suspect – Trump on why he asked FIFA to suspend Balogun’s red card

United States president, Donald Trump, has claimed that referee Raphael Claus’ past is “suspect”.

Claus is the referee who showed a red card to American striker, Folarin Balogun, during a last-32 clash against Bosnia at the 2026 World Cup.

FIFA on Sunday overturned the one-game ban that came with the sending off.

This means Balogun will be available to Mauricio Pochettino for their last-16 game against Belgium.

Trump, speaking in the White House, has confirmed he asked FIFA to review the incident.

He said: “I saw the play, and I’m a person that loves sports … that wasn’t a foul.

“That wasn’t even an infraction. This referee, who is a little bit suspect if you check his past.

“He made a call that nobody could believe. He’s our best player, or one of our best players. And he gave him a red card. I didn’t know what that meant.

“Yes, I asked for a review by FIFA.”

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