Donald Trump and Fifa President Gianni Infantino appeared together at a reception in Trump Tower on Friday, where Trump praised Infantino for overturning a red card for US striker Folarin Balogun and repeated unverified claims about the 2020 election being rigged. The event, held ahead of a Fifa Council meeting and Sunday's World Cup final, saw the two leaders enter the stage to Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA," standing for two minutes and 15 seconds as the song played.
Trump Credits Infantino for Balogun Decision
Trump lauded Infantino for suspending Balogun's red card, which allowed the striker to play in the US men's national team's crucial last-16 match against Belgium. The US ultimately lost 4-1. Trump recounted his phone call to Infantino, saying he "made a recommendation" to let Balogun play. "I said, Gianni, I'd like to make a recommendation. Let the guy in the game," Trump said, adding that Infantino's decision avoided controversy. "They won the game, and our team had all of its players. Think of it, if he didn't allow him, they'd say: 'We would have won the game if we had our best players.' So Gianni made yet another of his many good decisions."
Trump Repeats 2020 Election Falsehoods
In his remarks, Trump continued to assert that the 2020 election was stolen, referencing his Thursday primetime address where he made unverified claims about Chinese meddling. "I said, you know, I was supposed to not be here right now. I was supposed to be president for eight years," Trump said, noting that had he won, he would have been out of office by the 2026 World Cup. "The polls showed it. Everyone showed it. They rigged the election. And what did I get? I got the World Cup. I got the Olympics. And I brought them here."
Praise for World Cup Success and Joke About Mexico, Canada
Both Trump and Infantino recited accomplishments of the World Cup, including high attendances and TV ratings. Infantino thanked Trump for hosting "the greatest human social and cultural event that mankind has ever witnessed." Trump later expressed interest in the US hosting another World Cup, but joked, "this time we'll leave Mexico and Canada out," drawing laughter from the audience. The event highlighted the intersection of politics and sports as the World Cup final approached.
