‘Corrupt to the core’: Reporting exposes truth about Donald Trump’s World Cup move and sparks outrage
The 2026 FIFA World Cup had some major drama injected into its round of 16 when FIFA reinstated the USMNT’s leading goal scorer in the tournament, Folarin Balogun, despite his being assessed a red card in the round of 32, which usually warrants a one-game suspension for the next match.
FIFA cited article 27 of the FIFA disciplinary code in its ruling, which was also used to suspend a two-match suspension for Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo for two matches before the start of the World Cup. The day of the United States’ matchup with Belgium, which ended up being a 4-1 loss, in the round of 16, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that he played a part in the decision surrounding Balogun.
“All I did, I asked for a review, cause I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump said, via Yahoo. “I didn’t tell them what to do, I can’t tell them what to do. … I think it was a committee that made the decision, and they made the right decision.”
However, reporting from The Times’ Martyn Ziegler has refuted the role any committee may have played in Balogun’s ruling.
“There are 18 members of FIFA’s disciplinary committee but the unprecedented decision to lift Balogun’s automatic ban was taken by just one person – the chairman Mohammad Al Kamali of UAE. No one else was consulted,” Ziegler reported on Sunday.
There are 18 members of FIFA’s disciplinary committee but the unprecedented decision to lift Balogun’s automatic ban was taken by just one person – the chairman Mohammad Al Kamali of UAE. No one else was consulted.
Full story: https://t.co/DbqEmcPlOT— Martyn Ziegler (@martynziegler) July 12, 2026
“No More Greed, No More Corruption.”
Soccer fans on social media took exception to the reality of the situation surrounding Balogun and the USMNT.
“FIFA needs to be destroyed and a better alternative needs to be made. No More Greed, No More corruption, football have been rotten to its core for too long!” one fan posted on X.
“Corrupt to the core,” added one political scientist.
“An eye-opening investigation – and it is this kind of journalism that greatly troubles (FIFA President Gianni Infantino) and his cronies, who prefer entertainment and talking points (such as FIFA’s ‘independent’ committees) to avoid revealing the grim reality to the general public,” someone else added.
“One person. The same UAE who bought half a billion of Trumps own cryptocurrency. The same UAE who bought Trump a plane. Welcome to the “non-political” world of Football,” one persno wrote.
Considering Balogun’s presence did little to help the USMNT against Belgium, it’s clear both Trump and FIFA would have been better off allowing his suspension to stand. Instead, the details surrounding the ruling have called FIFA’s integrity into question for many.
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