US President Donald Trump, though largely absent from stadiums, leveraged the 2026 FIFA World Cup for domestic political gain, calling it "the most successful sporting event maybe in the history of the world."

The Trump regime's policies barred a Somali FIFA referee from entering the US, forced Iran to train in Mexico, and prevented fans from around the world from attending matches. These actions contradicted FIFA's slogan "Football Unites the World."

The most controversial intervention came when Trump allegedly lobbied FIFA to overturn a red card suspension for US striker Folarin Balogun. The move backfired as the US lost 4-1 to Belgium in the round of 16. Balogun admitted the controversy caused nerves among teammates.

Professor Jules Boykoff of Pacific University said Trump's actions were aimed at his domestic base. "Intervening in the red card situation allowed him to deliver the message to his political base that he could get international bodies like FIFA to bend to his will," Boykoff told DW.

Expert Karim Zidan called the Balogun intervention a political misstep. "In boasting about this when the US team gave an opportunity for him to rally behind a team that seemed to be unifying Americans, he managed to find a way to taint it," Zidan said.

Despite approval ratings below 40%, Trump has already pushed for future World Cups, suggesting to FIFA President Infantino a two-country hosting model. The US cannot host the men's World Cup again until 2038, but will host the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles and the 2034 Winter Olympics.

Source: www.dw.com