"I didn't know what a red card was," says Trump about expulsion at the World Cup

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated this Monday (6) that he didn't even know what a red card was when commenting on the expulsion of striker Folarin Balogun during the 2026 World Cup.

The statement was made in the Oval Office of the White House, while Trump explained why he asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the punishment imposed on the American national team player.

"I didn't know what the hell a red card was," the president told reporters.

Trump once again stated that, in his view, the move that resulted in Balogun's expulsion should not have even been marked as a foul.

"I didn't think it was a foul. It was just two players running at high speed who ended up colliding," he declared.

The striker had received a red card in the United States' victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina and, initially, would serve an automatic suspension in the round of 16. On Sunday (5), however, FIFA suspended the punishment for a year on a probationary basis, freeing Balogun to face Belgium.

Trump also highlighted that he only requested a review of the case and denied having interfered in the entity's decision.

"All I did was ask for a review. I didn't say, 'You have to do this'. I can't tell FIFA what to do," he said.

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Source: CNN