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Published 13:00 18 Jul 2026 GMT
Donald Trump has unexpectedly weighed in on England's World Cup semi-final defeat, questioning one of Thomas Tuchel's tactical decisions after the Three Lions' dramatic loss to Argentina.
England looked on course to reach their first men's World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 1966 after taking the lead in the second half.
However, late goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez completed a turnaround for Argentina, who booked their place in the final against Spain.
In the aftermath of the defeat, Tuchel came under heavy criticism for making defensive substitutions after England went 1-0 up, with many pundits and supporters arguing the changes handed momentum to Argentina.
Despite the backlash, the Football Association has publicly backed the German coach, who is under contract until 2028.
Now, the US President has added his voice to the debate.
Speaking at a FIFA reception in New York on Friday, Trump singled out England captain Harry Kane while questioning why the team's approach became so defensive after taking the lead.
"You have a great player in England, who I played golf with," Trump said. "You know that, right? He is Harry, who's been fantastic."
Trump then appeared to criticise Tuchel's tactics, saying: "I think they perhaps made a mistake when they made him a defensive player."
Referring to England dropping deeper to protect their advantage, he added: "They took the lead, and they took their best player, and they put him on defence."
Although Trump admitted he wasn't an expert on football tactics, he suggested England should have continued to attack rather than sitting back.
"What do I know about soccer?" he said. "We got to be a little offensive, right?... Look, what do I know about coaching?"
Still, he admitted the tactical switch struck him as unusual, adding: "I thought that was a little unusual, but Harry is a great guy actually."
The comments come as the 2026 World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, prepares to conclude with Argentina facing European champions Spain in the final.
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Published 08:41 14 Jul 2025 GMT
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Published 16:24 07 Jul 2026 GMT
After the World Cup’s co-hosts, the USA, lost 4-1 to Belgium last night, missing out on a place in the quarter-finals and being kicked out of the competition, soccer fans have begged the President to pull some strings and get their national team back in the game.
Since the country has been turfed out of the tournament, fans flocked to social media to ask Donald Trump to use his position of power to ask FIFA for another chance to prove themselves.
Fans have faith that a plea from Trump could work, as his request to review US top striker Folarin Balogun’s ban worked and got him back on the pitch.
The team’s top goal-scorer was set to miss out on the match against Belgium after receiving a red card in the US’ previous game against Bosnia and Herzegovina before Trump stepped in.
Unsurprisingly, soccer fans have begged the President to step in again and use his power to get the USA back into the global event of the year.
One soccer fan boldly claimed on social media: “The US can still win the World Cup if Donald Trump has the courage.”
Another person, although seemingly less convinced by Trump’s influence, said: “Do you think Trump will make another phone call to ask them to overturn Belgium’s win? I wouldn’t put it past him.”
A third added: “The officials were totally corrupt. Trump needs to call Gianni.”
Gianni Infantino took over as FIFA president promising to reform the organization following the major 2015 corruption scandal, but his tenure has since been dogged by a string of controversies and ethics questions.
He has faced multiple ethics investigations and controversies of his own, including a Swiss criminal probe into secret, undocumented meetings he held with the country's former Attorney General who was investigating football corruption at the time.
Unsurprisingly, Infantino faced intense criticism over alleged political interference after FIFA abruptly suspended a red-card ban for Balogun immediately following a phone call from Trump.
Despite the pleas from US soccer fans, it appears the co-hosts' World Cup campaign is over for good, regardless of any calls made to FIFA's top brass.
Even if the USA team did make it through the knock-out stages, they would have faced the rather strong Spanish team, and hopes of beating them would be even slimmer.
Published 10:18 07 Jul 2026 GMT
Belgium have responded following a controversial buildup to their round-of-16 World Cup tie against the USA.
US President Donald Trump admitted that he called FIFA president Gianni Infantino after USMNT striker Folarin Balogun was shown a red card in the side's round-of-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The 25-year-old's one-match ban was then remarkably suspended following an intervention by FIFA, allowing him to play against Belgium in last night's knockout clash.
But Belgium would have the last laugh, with the Red Devils progressing to the quarter-finals after goals from Hans Vanaken, Romelu Lukaku, and a double from Charles De Ketelaere secured a 4-1 victory.
Despite the masterclass put on by the European side on US soil, the tie will likely be remembered for the off-pitch drama that unfolded both before and after the whistle was blown in Seattle.
And following the emphatic victory, Belgium had a message for Trump.
The Belgian team could be seen celebrating after bagging their fourth goal in stoppage time, doing an impression of the "Trump dance," which went viral during the 2024 US presidential campaign.
It involved some arm-pumping and hip-rocking, which was famously done by the 47th US President.
The official Instagram account then posted a snap of Lukaku cupping his ear, with the snappy caption: "Overturn this."
Despite the media team having a field day, Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia was more modest about the result, admitting he spoke to Balogun after the game.
"I really liked that. It's not his fault, he's not the one to blame and that's what I told him," he admitted.
"Regardless of the US starting line-up, what really mattered to us is our game plan," he answered when asked about how the decision affected preparations.
"The group is very mature. I told them what matters the most is us."
Balogun's red-card suspension set a precedent, given that the 189 previous red cards shown in World Cup history had only seen a player avoid the automatic one-game suspension once - Brazil's Garrincha in 1962.
Although this was even before the automatic ban system was put in place.
Belgium and Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin admitted that the squad was shocked by the decision, but they used it as fuel.
He explained post-match: "A lot has happened off the pitch over the last two days,
"There was a sense of injustice within the squad, and we were determined to respond on the field."
The side's captain, Youri Tielemans, revealed: "We told ourselves we had to respond on the pitch. That's what we did."
Balogun had committed a nasty foul on Bosnia-Herzegovina's Tarik Muharemovic in USMNT's previous game, which looked sure to rule him out of the Belgium tie.
But FIFA chose to suspend his automatic one-match ban for 12 months instead, resulting in a heavy backlash.
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was "astonished" by the decision in a statement, with an appeal being rejected by FIFA.
The President spoke about Balogun's suspended ban on Monday (July 6), admitting that he asked FIFA to review the ban.
Trump went as far as claiming that the rightful one-game ban would have left a "big stain" on the tournament.
Speaking at the White House, he said: "I think it [the suspension] would have left a big stain,
"I can't tell them what to do. I don't believe they made the decision; I believe it was the commission that made the decision. And it was the right decision."
Luckily for FIFA, the decision meant nothing in the end as the US side were embarrassed in front of their home crowd.
Chelsea star Cole Palmer appeared visibly confused after spotting U.S. President Donald Trump during the Club World Cup trophy presentation, sparking widespread reaction from fans online.
The Premier League club secured the FIFA Club World Cup title on Sunday with a commanding 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. A brace from Palmer and a goal from João Pedro sealed the victory for Enzo Maresca’s side.
However, it wasn’t just the on-pitch performance grabbing headlines. During the post-match trophy ceremony, players were joined on stage by 79-year-old Trump, who remained alongside the squad as they lifted the trophy.
Footage of Palmer’s reaction to Trump’s presence quickly went viral on social media. The 23-year-old forward looked visibly surprised as Chelsea captain Reece James stepped forward to hoist the Club World Cup.
Fans quickly decoded what they believed to be Palmer’s reaction, with many lip-reading him uttering the words: “What’s he doing?”
One viewer commented: “Palmer: ‘What’s he doing?’” while another wrote: “He was surprised as well as confused.” A third added: “You can literally see Cole Palmer visibly confused at Trump being there, you can’t make this up.”
Another fan said: “Chelsea trying to celebrate winning the World Cup with Trump in the way is FRYING ME. Cole Palmer: ‘What’s he doing?’”
Speaking after the match, Palmer confirmed he hadn’t expected Trump to appear on stage with the team.
“I knew he was going to be here but I didn’t know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy,” Palmer told The Independent. “I was a bit confused, yeah.”
Reflecting on Chelsea’s performance, Palmer added: “It’s a great feeling. Even better because everyone doubted us before the game, we knew that. To put a fight on like we did, it’s good.”
He also praised manager Enzo Maresca’s tactical preparation: “The gaffer put a great gameplan out. He knew where the space was going to be. He tried to free me up as much as possible and I just had to repay him and score some goals.”
While Chelsea celebrated their latest international success, it was Palmer’s candid reaction that offered an unexpected (and highly relatable) moment for fans watching around the world.
Published 09:37 07 Jul 2026 GMT
Belgium's players appeared to take a swipe at Donald Trump after dumping the United States out of the World Cup, leaving many people saying the same thing.
The Red Devils sent the tournament hosts crashing out of FIFA’s flagship competition after capitalising on a string of defensive mistakes before sealing the win with a late fourth goal from Romelu Lukaku, prompting celebrations from him and his teammates that appeared to mimic the “Trump dance”.
The match had already been steeped in controversy before kick-off after FIFA allowed USA striker Folarin Balogun to play despite being sent off in the previous round.
Trump had publicly supported FIFA's decision during an appearance in the Oval Office earlier in the week, revealing he had spoken to FIFA president Gianni Infantino before Balogun's suspension was overturned, confirming he had pushed for the suspension of the red card.
Belgium had strongly objected to the decision and demanded an explanation, even threatening further action if Balogun was eligible to play.
However, after comfortably defeating the United States, the players appeared to make their feelings known with their post-match celebrations.
Charles De Ketelaere scored twice during the opening half, while Malik Tillman briefly gave the USA hope with a free-kick.
Hans Vanaken restored Belgium's two-goal cushion after the break before Romelu Lukaku added a fourth goal late on, celebrating with gestures many viewers compared to Trump's signature dance moves.
The result was particularly painful for the hosts after the build-up had been dominated by the Balogun eligibility saga.
Belgium had originally prepared for the Round of 16 expecting the Arsenal forward to miss the match following his red card. However, FIFA reversed the suspension shortly before the game.
The original dismissal had already sparked debate, while the decision to overturn the ban led to even greater scrutiny. Infantino's close relationship with Trump also prompted questions from critics about the handling of the situation.
Although Infantino later issued a statement, Belgium challenged Balogun's eligibility, but FIFA ruled the complaint "inadmissible."
Following that decision, the Royal Belgian Football Association warned it was considering further action.
"This leaves all further actions open," the federation said.
"To date, the RBFA has still not received any grounds for this decision, nor has it received the information it has been requesting since the start of this procedure."
Belgium's official national team account also joined in after the final whistle, posting a graphic showing the 4-1 scoreline alongside the caption: "Overturn this."
Following the match, social media quickly filled with jokes suggesting Trump's close relationship with FIFA could lead to further controversy.
One X user joked: "Has Trump put in a request with FIFA to make it a best of 7 series with Belgium yet?"
Another wrote: "Donald Trump has demanded a replay of USA v Belgium because the US team was only allowed 11 players on the 'field' (he means pitch) and all the Belgian scorers should be red carded (whatever that means) for being disrespectful ... #LandOfTheFree eh?"
A third added: "Trump Will want a Review on this Match, so u guys can replay the match..."
Belgium will now face current European champions, Spain, in the quarter-finals on Friday.
Published 14:56 06 Jul 2026 GMT
Donald Trump has revealed the details of his call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the controversial suspension of a ban to USMNT player Folarin Balogun.
Balogun’s red card ban was suspended after FIFA intervention, freeing him up to face Belgium in Monday’s quarter final.
Trump also questioned the integrity of the referee of the game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, calling him ‘suspect’.
There has been widespread outrage after the rarely-used rule was brought in to ensure that Balogun could feature up front for the USA, with Belgium’s soccer federation set to appeal the decision and European governing body UEFA also speaking out against it.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said: “I saw the play, and I’m a person that loves sports...
“That wasn’t a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction.
“This referee, who is a little bit suspect if you check his past.
“He made a call that nobody could believe.
“He’s our best player, or one of our best players. And he gave him a red card. I didn’t know what that meant…”
He then confirmed: “Yes, I asked for a review by FIFA.”
Later in the comments, Trump revealed how much he knows about soccer, telling the gathered journalists: “I didn’t know what the hell a red card was. When I found out, I said, ‘You gotta be kidding!’”
The referee, Raphael Claus, sent off Balogun during the US team’s 2-0 win against Bosnia in the 64th minute.
Then, on Sunday, FIFA announced that the one-match ban would be suspended.
That decision attracted particular attention as Donald Trump had made a call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino asking him to rescind or suspend Balogun’s ban.
According to Article 27 of FIFA’s disciplinary code, the game ban will be suspended for one year.
FIFA’s statement said: “If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”
Afterwards, Trump thanked FIFA for making the call and ‘reversing a great injustice’.
So far, Donald Trump has not attended any games in this World Cup, spread between the US, Canada and Mexico, but he will reportedly attend the final and could even hand over the trophy.
After the decision to allow Balogun to play, Belgium manager Rudi Garcia said: “I didn’t know that at the World Cup the 5th of July is actually the first of April. It’s April Fools.
“We’re not defending the national team or the federation, we are defending football, integrity. It’s the first time in World Cup history that such a decision has been taken.”
The Belgian football governing body released a statement confirming it was ‘astonished’ by the rule application, as there is no recourse to appeal yellow cards - the second of which resulted in Balogun’s sending off.
