Former United States goalkeeper Brad Friedel said political interference has no place in sport after Donald Trump contacted FIFA about Folarin Balogun's red card. The comments came after the United States lost 4-1 to Belgium in the World Cup last 16 on Monday in Seattle.
Friedel told 101 Great Goals that the episode overshadowed the match and ultimately motivated Belgium. He said politics and sport must remain separate to preserve integrity.
The controversy began when Balogun received a red card on July 1 during the United States' win over Bosnia-Herzegovina. FIFA later suspended the automatic one-match ban after Trump spoke with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and posted on Truth Social about reversing an injustice.
Belgium responded with a dominant performance. Charles De Ketelaere scored twice, Hans Vanaken added another, and Romelu Lukaku completed the scoring. Malik Tillman had briefly equalised for the United States.
Friedel also discussed coach Mauricio Pochettino's future, noting the manager would assess the squad before deciding on another cycle.
