Last night’s Belgium v USA World Cup match would have been a tense affair under any circumstances. The USMNT has been on a hot streak for its last few games, the nation’s reputation has been boosted by reports from visiting fans, and this is a knockout game with everything to play for.
But on top of all that came the intense controversy around Donald Trump’s intervention to boost the USMNT, with the president bragging about how he put pressure on FIFA to allow star striker Folarin Balogun to play despite a match ban. In comments in the Oval Office, he outright admitted interference, saying, “I asked for a review by FIFA.”
