White House’s World Cup head defends Trump lobbying Fifa over red card
Summary
Andrew Giuliani, leader of the White House’s World Cup team, defended President Trump’s efforts to ask FIFA to overturn a red card given to US player Folarin Balogun. The red card was issued by Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, who had been involved in a past match-fixing investigation, although he was never accused of wrongdoing.Key Facts
- President Trump asked FIFA to lift the suspension of US player Folarin Balogun after a red card.
- The red card was given by referee Raphael Claus during the US match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Claus was part of a 2024 Brazilian Senate investigation into match-fixing and referee assignments, but was not accused of any crime.
- White House World Cup taskforce head Andrew Giuliani described the referee’s past as "highly suspicious."
- Giuliani criticized the use of VAR (video assistant referee) slow-motion replays during the decision, saying it was used incorrectly.
- The US team lost 4-1 to Belgium and was eliminated from the World Cup.
- FIFA defended Claus, stating he has shown professionalism and integrity throughout his career.
- The US government expressed a desire for fair play both in elections and sports events.
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