Off Script On LIVE TV? Ted Cruz Spills FIFA Secret; Trump 'Hides' Face After Balogun Shocker

President Donald Trump has thrown the 2026 FIFA World Cup into absolute political chaos. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump openly confirmed that he repeatedly lobbied FIFA President Gianni Infantino to overturn the automatic one-match suspension of star American striker Folarin Balogun following his red card against Bosnia. Admitting he "didn't know what the hell a red card was," Trump went on to invoke his 2020 election rhetoric, warning that if Belgium defeats Team USA on Monday night, he will declare the match "rigged." The press event was further complicated by Senator Ted Cruz, who drew immediate backlash by suggesting a replica FIFA World Cup trophy had been kept in the Oval Office precisely to exert this kind of unprecedented political pressure #breakingnews #sportsnews #worldcup2026 #donaldtrump #fifa #folarinbalogun #tedcruz #usmnt #belgium #redcard #rigged #tedcruz Times Of India (TOI) Is The Largest Selling English Daily In The World. Times Of India Videos Bring You Global News, Views And Sharp Analysis. We Track India's Global Rise, Her Increasing Engagement With The World, The Changing Geopolitical Landscape Amid Conflicts And Wars And The Emerging World Order. INTERNATIONAL NEWS | GLOBAL CONFLICTS | MIDDLE EAST WAR | CHANGING WORLD ORDER #TOILive | #TOIVideos Subscribe to the Times Of India YT channel and press the bell icon to get notified when we go live. Join Millions Reading TOI; Download Our App At http://toi.in/app-yt Visit our website https://www.timesofindia.com/ Follow us on X/ @timesofindia Facebook:   / timesofindia   Instagram:   / timesofindia   Follow the TOI WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/3RYl0J9 For daily news & updates and exclusive stories, follow the Times of India