Rapinoe Blames Trump for U.S. Men’s World Cup Loss After 1 Red-Card Intervention
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 24
Rapinoe Blames Trump for U.S. Men’s World Cup Loss After 1 Red-Card Intervention
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 24
Summary
Megan Rapinoe said on "The Daily Show" that Donald Trump’s involvement cost the U.S. men’s team its underdog edge and contributed to its World Cup defeat to Belgium.
Trump had acknowledged calling FIFA President Gianni Infantino to seek a review of Folarin Balogun’s red card, which was later suspended but became a major pre-match controversy.
Rapinoe said the episode threw the team off its game, turning a strong internal vibe into a distraction that younger players were not equipped to absorb.
Balogun had already described the fallout as hard to avoid, telling CBS in mid-July that he could sense nerves among teammates as outside noise built before the match.
The White House rejected the criticism, saying Trump’s leadership helped make the 2026 World Cup a safe event that generated billions of dollars for host cities.