Referee’s past is suspect – Trump on why he asked FIFA to suspend Balogun’s red card

United States president, Donald Trump, has claimed that referee Raphael Claus’ past is “suspect”.

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Claus is the referee who showed a red card to American striker, Folarin Balogun, during a last-32 clash against Bosnia at the 2026 World Cup.

FIFA on Sunday overturned the one-game ban that came with the sending off.

This means Balogun will be available to Mauricio Pochettino for their last-16 game against Belgium.

Trump, speaking in the White House, has confirmed he asked FIFA to review the incident.

He 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.

“Yes, I asked for a review by FIFA.”