WM 2026: Rot-Eklat bei FIFA! Trump legt nach! "Er hängt noch eine Verschwörungstheorie dran!"

2026 World Cup: Red Card Controversy Because of Trump! Infantino Now Strikes Back! "An Absurd Argument by FIFA!" The World Cup is over for the USA, but the scandal remains. From professional footballer Balogun and his handling of the uproar surrounding his overturned suspension – and how the victorious Belgians are gleefully taking jabs at Trump. Folarin Balogun didn't hesitate for a second and stood in the interview zone in Seattle in front of the huge throng of reporters. The American striker, whose suspension, imposed after a phone call from US President Donald Trump to FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, became a World Cup scandal, actually had the magnanimity to face the questions of the assembled world press after the demoralizing 1-4 defeat against Belgium. "We accepted the decision when I saw the red card, and we accepted the decision when we were told I could play," the 25-year-old professional footballer clarified. Balogun played poorly in Belgium's World Cup round of 16 exit – yet on a unique football day at Lumen Field, he still emerged as one of the winners. Infandino watched from the stadium. After the final whistle, Balogun spoke with Belgium's coach, Rudi Garcia, about the exceptional circumstances both sides had to navigate in the 30 hours leading up to kickoff. "He came to me, I liked that. He's not to blame. He didn't do anything wrong. I respect him," Garcia said of the conversation on the pitch. The Belgians' fury, however, was directed solely at the FIFA officials, including President Infantino, who, although present in the stadium, was not shown on the big video screens this time. Trump has long since moved on to other topics. The USA is out of the World Cup, and the pathos-fueled celebration, further intensified by Trump, has come to an abrupt end. But the scandal remains. Balogun received a red card during the US team's 2-0 victory against Bosnia-Herzegovina. But after Trump called Infantino, FIFA summarily overturned the suspension without providing any real justification. "I asked for a review because I didn't think it was a foul," Trump said at a press conference in the Oval Office. While Trump was already preoccupied with other topics on Tuesday night in Germany, such as rapper Nicki Minaj ("hot" and "a good friend") and the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara, the wave of outrage in football showed no signs of abating. Klopp: Questioning everything "It can't come to this, that states intervene. That's unacceptable," said former World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger during the live broadcast on ARD. Designated national team coach Jürgen Klopp also strongly criticized the decision. “If Trump and Infantino really made this arrangement between themselves, that’s insane. It calls everything into question,” Klopp said on MagentaTV. Klopp continued: “These two people, who both know nothing about football, shouldn’t have anything to do with it.” For President Infantino, who is under heavy criticism, the matter is far from over. Even before kickoff, the wave of outrage was greater than ever before. UEFA also strongly condemned the incident, saying a “red line” had been crossed. In the end, the main victims were the US players, including Balogun, who appeared completely unsettled. This was particularly evident in goalkeeper Matt Freese’s blatant blunder before Hans Vanaken’s goal to make it 3-1, which ultimately decided the match. The most important football match for the USA since the 2002 World Cup quarter-final ended in a sporting humiliation. Ibrahimovic calls it a "reality check" The players, from captain Tim Ream to Tyler Adams and Balogun himself, insisted in interviews that the scandal and the unprecedented media frenzy over the course of a day and a half had no impact on their performance. On the pitch, however, it was a different story. The USA were simply unrecognizable compared to their previous performances. The players were a completely different team. #WorldCup2026 #Trump #FIFA #PenaltyKick #Infantino #WorldSports WELT News Channel    / weltvideotv   WELT Documentary Channel    / weltdoku   WELT Podcast Channel    / weltpodcast   WELT Network Reporter Channel    / dienetzreporter   The WELT News Livestream http://bit.ly/2fwuMPg The Top News on WELT.de http://bit.ly/2rQQD9Q The Media Library on WELT.de http://bit.ly/2Iydxv8 WELT News Channel on Instagram   / welt.nachrichtensender   WELT on Instagram   / welt   Video created in 2025