FIFA backs ref whom Trump criticized

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, July 8, 2026

FIFA defended referee Raphael Claus after U.S. President Donald Trump criticized his decision to red-card forward Folarin Balogun, leading to the forward's suspension being overturned. Meanwhile, Belgium midfielder Amadou Onana was ruled out for the rest of the World Cup with a torn ACL, and FIFA imposed suspensions on two U.S. team officials ahead of their match against Belgium.

FIFA has publicly defended World Cup referee Raphael Claus following criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who questioned the integrity of the Brazilian official after a controversial red card was issued to U.S. forward Folarin Balogun. Claus sent off Balogun during the group stage match against Bosnia last week, prompting Trump to comment at the White House on Monday that the 46-year-old referee was “a little bit suspect if you check his past,” without providing further details.

In response, FIFA issued a statement affirming Claus’s professionalism and integrity. The governing body described Claus as “one of the world’s leading professional referees and a valued member” of its World Cup officiating team, emphasizing his consistent adherence to high standards throughout his career.

The red card incident led to Trump’s intervention, which FIFA confirmed resulted in Balogun’s suspension being lifted, allowing the forward to participate in the United States’ subsequent match against Belgium on Monday.

Separately, FIFA imposed disciplinary measures on two United States team officials ahead of the Belgium match. Team manager Sam Zapatka and U.S. Soccer Federation vice president of security Frank Pannell were suspended, though FIFA did not disclose the reasons behind the sanctions. The U.S. Soccer Federation stated that the suspensions were unrelated to the successful appeal regarding Balogun’s suspension.

Belgium suffered a significant setback when midfielder Amadou Onana sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee during the match against the United States. Team doctor Brahim Hacene confirmed that the 24-year-old Onana would miss the remainder of the tournament. Onana had appeared in four World Cup matches for Belgium, making his second start of the competition against the U.S.

In other tournament developments, Spain midfielder Rodri expressed regret over reacting visibly after an opportunity by former Manchester City teammate Bernardo Silva was missed during Portugal’s match on Monday. Silva had failed to score a late chance that could have equalized the game.

FIFA also announced it is investigating an incident involving popular streamer and YouTuber IShowSpeed during the Argentina-Cape Verde game on Friday. IShowSpeed was live-streaming the match when a fan wearing an Argentina jersey appeared to direct a racially charged comment toward him, reportedly telling him to “go cry to the zoo.” FIFA has not released further details on the investigation.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.