Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House’s World Cup taskforce, defended Donald Trump's lobbying of FIFA to lift the suspension of US player Folarin Balogun during a press briefing on June 29, 2026, in Leesburg, Virginia. Giuliani described the actions of referee Raphael Claus as "very, very highly suspicious" following Balogun's red card in a match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Trump questioned Claus's integrity, citing a past match-fixing investigation in Brazil that examined referee assignments, though Claus himself was not accused of any wrongdoing. Giuliani stated, "We found it highly suspicious that there was a referee who had been investigated for match-fixing previously, and specifically for irregular red cards, issuing irregular red cards." He emphasized the importance of fair play, saying, "The US government, whether it’s at the ballot box or whether it’s on the playing field, we want fair play."
FIFA and Brazilian Football Confederation Respond
FIFA defended Claus, asserting that he has consistently demonstrated high standards of professionalism and integrity. The Brazilian Football Confederation echoed this sentiment, stating, "There is nothing in his record that calls his integrity into question or supports any suspicion of wrongdoing."
Despite the controversy, the US team faced Belgium and lost 4-1, with critics suggesting Trump's intervention may have motivated the Belgian team. Giuliani noted that many Americans shared concerns about the situation.
Logistical Arrangements for Iranian Team
Giuliani also addressed criticism regarding the logistical arrangements for the Iranian national team, which set up its base in Tijuana, Mexico instead of the US. He explained, "The flight time – air time – is 27 minutes from Tijuana to Los Angeles, which made it easy to decide that the day before would be a proper time to allow the team to come in the country."
He added that this was not undue stress, comparing it to NFL teams often taking cross-country flights immediately after games. He stated that the US national team had similar travel arrangements after their match against Australia.
World Cup Attendance and Ticket Demand
With just eight matches left in the tournament, Giuliani declared the World Cup a historic success, reporting over 6.5 million fans had attended matches, nearly doubling the previous record of 3.5 million set in 1994. He mentioned that Trump raised concerns over high ticket prices, noting that FIFA received more than 500 million ticket requests for 7 million tickets.
- 6.5 million fans attended matches
- 500 million ticket requests for 7 million tickets
- 4,547 tickets per match distributed to US military veterans
Giuliani emphasized the administration's efforts to streamline entry for millions of legal visitors while maintaining security. More than 5 million ESTA applications were processed in the first half of the fiscal year for the 19 qualifying ESTA countries.
🤖 This article was rewritten by Feed and Figures' editorial AI from a report originally published by Guardian Football. Facts and quotes are preserved from the original; the rewrite focuses on clarity and structure. For the unedited original, see the source link below.
