FIFA and the chairman of its Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina, have publicly defended Brazilian referee Raphael Claus after US President Donald Trump questioned the official's integrity during the 2026 World Cup, according to reports from Al Jazeera, ESPN and other outlets. The episode has raised questions less about the referee and more about FIFA's decision to reverse a suspension following a phone call from a head of state.
What Happened on the Pitch
In the United States' 2-0 round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara, California, Claus sent off USMNT striker Folarin Balogun after a VAR check. According to the reports, the red card was shown for Balogun planting his boot on the ankle of Bosnia's Tarik Muharemovic. The dismissal carried an automatic one-match ban that would have ruled Balogun out of the round of 16.
Claus is an experienced official at his second World Cup, having also officiated at Qatar 2022, and is a member of FIFA's elite refereeing group known as "Team One."
Trump's Intervention
Trump then phoned FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask that the decision be reviewed, according to an Associated Press report carried by PBS. Speaking publicly, Trump described Claus as "a little bit suspect if you check his past," and added, "I didn't think it was a foul, two great athletes that crashed into each other."
Trump provided no evidence to support his insinuation about the referee's past. There has been no substantiation of any refereeing bias or manipulation, and both FIFA and Collina rejected the suggestion.
FIFA Reverses the Ban
FIFA's disciplinary committee subsequently suspended Balogun's ban, imposing what the reports described as a one-year probationary suspension of the sanction under FIFA's Disciplinary Code. That decision freed Balogun to play in the round of 16, in which the United States lost 4-1 to Belgium and were eliminated from the tournament.
Collina and FIFA Back the Referee
Collina, who chairs FIFA's Referees Committee, publicly defended Claus, according to ESPN and Goal.com. FIFA called Claus "one of the world's leading professional referees" and a "Team One" member, and said it retained "full confidence in him."
The defence of the referee stood apart from the separate question of why the ban itself was lifted.
European Reaction
The response from European football bodies was sharp. UEFA said FIFA had "crossed a red line," describing the intervention as "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable," according to the reports. The Belgian football association said it was "astonished" by the turn of events.
What the Controversy Is Really About
As the Al Jazeera analysis noted, the genuine controversy is not any proven wrongdoing by Claus, which neither FIFA nor Collina accept, but FIFA's decision to reverse a disciplinary sanction after a political phone call from a national president. On the field, the referee's integrity was publicly questioned without evidence. Off the field, football's governing body faced accusations that it had allowed a political intervention to alter a sporting outcome.
SportsDelulu reports the accounts of FIFA, Collina, Trump, UEFA, the Belgian FA and the news outlets involved, and takes no side in the dispute.
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