Trump's Direct Pressure on FIFA Exposes Cracks in Tournament Governance

President Trump told reporters he lobbied FIFA President Gianni Infantino before the organization suspended striker Folarin Balogun's World Cup red-card ban on July 5. Trump framed it as requesting a "review," but The Guardian reported he "repeatedly lobbied" for the suspension's removal. Infantino claims he didn't influence the decision. The exchange raises questions about FIFA's institutional independence at a tournament it co-hosts on US soil.