Trump sparks fresh rigged World Cup row after saying a US loss to Belgium would be “rigged” and defending FIFA’s review of Folarin Balogun’s red card

United States President Donald Trump has reignited controversy surrounding the FIFA World Cup after suggesting that a defeat by the United States to Belgium in Monday’s Round of 16 match could be considered “rigged,” while defending his intervention in the disciplinary case involving US forward Folarin Balogun.

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Trump made the remarks during an Oval Office event marking the launch of the “Trump Accounts” investment programme for children, where he addressed growing criticism over his involvement in the decision to review Balogun’s red card suspension ahead of the knockout fixture in Seattle.

Speaking about the match, Trump said both teams should be allowed to compete with their strongest available players.

“This game would have a big mark on it.

If we lost, if we won, no matter what happened, you have to let them use their best players. And the game tonight’s gonna be amazing, and we’re gonna have a full team, and Belgium’s gonna have a full team,” Trump said.

He then compared a potential defeat to his long-disputed claims about the 2020 US presidential election.

“And you know what? If they beat us, then they can be really proud. The other way, if they beat us, we’ll say it was, I say it was rigged, just like the election was rigged in 2020, but I won’t get into that,” Trump added.

Trump also confirmed that he personally contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino after Balogun was sent off during the United States’ Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump said, adding that he “didn’t know what the hell a red card was” before the incident. He maintained that he requested only a review of the decision and did not instruct FIFA on the outcome.

Balogun had received a straight red card in Santa Clara, an offence that ordinarily carries an automatic one-match suspension under FIFA regulations, ruling him out of the Belgium fixture.

However, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee later suspended the ban for a one-year probationary period under Article 27 of its disciplinary code, making the striker eligible to play.

The decision has generated intense debate across the football world. UEFA criticised FIFA’s move, describing it as “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable” and warning that it risked undermining confidence in the integrity of the competition.

The Royal Belgian Football Association also lodged an appeal against Balogun’s eligibility before the match.

FIFA has defended the process, insisting that its independent judicial bodies acted within the provisions of the disciplinary code and reached their decision based on the applicable regulations.

The controversy has overshadowed one of the tournament’s marquee Round of 16 fixtures, with attention shifting from preparations on the pitch to questions about political influence, disciplinary consistency and the governance of world football.

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Regardless of the result in Seattle, the debate surrounding Balogun’s reinstatement and Trump’s public intervention is likely to remain one of the defining talking points of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.