Donald Trump has been thanked by senior Republican Ted Cruz for "getting rid of that ridiculous red card" as the FIFA firestorm surrounding Folarin Balogun's reinstatement to the USMNT intensifies. The US President held a press event in the Oval Office to celebrate the release of Trump Accounts, a government-backed investment programme for children, where he took a victory lap surrounded by Republican grandees.
Trump admits not knowing what a red card was
During the event, Cruz told Trump that the globally condemned move was "spectacular". The US President admitted speaking with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino before the decision was made, and that he "didn't know what the hell a red card is". Trump said: "I didn't know what the hell a red card was, when I found out, I said 'you got to be kidding'."
Cruz added: "On behalf of all Americans, thank you for getting rid of that ridiculous red card... it was spectacular." He also noted: "There was a reason the Fifa trophy sat here for as long as it did." Trump claimed "nobody cares" about the move, stating: "The status is, we have the press. They don't want to know anything soccer/football. Fortunately, they won't be asking any questions on that. Nobody cares about that, right?"
Trump defends his sports knowledge
Trump has been in classic form following the public firestorm over the red card controversy, and claimed during his speech that he understands sports "really well" after being a "good athlete". He said: "I'm a person that loves sports and was a good athlete and I understand sports really well, really well."
He also criticized the referee's decision: "And that wasn't a foul. That wasn't even an infraction. That was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other. And this referee, who is a little bit suspect... I don't like to create controversy, but very suspect. He made a call that nobody could believe. You know, even people on the other side, they said, 'oh, we got lucky'. Wow. That's very interesting."
Global condemnation of FIFA's decision
Trump's decision to call Infantino has only found support within the American conservative ranks, few of whom have any familiarity with football. The footballing world has reacted with abject fury, with the call by FIFA having earned the organisation swift condemnation from top players and other major bodies.
Former England player Wayne Rooney branded the decision a "disgrace" and said Infantino "should be ashamed". Speaking with BBC Sport, Rooney said: "For this to be suspended, they either take the red card away which is probably the right decision and then he can play. But to suspend it for a year? I think it's an absolute disgrace. Infantino should be ashamed of this."
UEFA criticizes decision as 'incomprehensible'
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) said the decision was "incomprehensible and unjustifiable" in its own statement. The body said: "When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined. Equally, such a decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require an equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition. We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision."
