Megan Rapinoe, a two-time World Cup champion with the US women's national soccer team, blamed President Donald Trump for the US men's soccer team's loss in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Speaking on "The Daily Show," Rapinoe said Trump's involvement killed the men's team's underdog vibe and threw them off their game before their Round of 32 match against Belgium.

The controversy centered around a red card given to US player Folarin Balogun during the match, which was later suspended. Trump admitted to calling FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review of the red card. When asked how this affected the men's team, Rapinoe responded, "Certainly not well, it didn't give them the boost, maybe, that they were thinking it would or that Trump was hoping that it would."

Rapinoe acknowledged she is not a referee and does not know all the rules but observed that the US team had a strong underdog vibe before Trump's involvement. She said, "I feel like they had, like, the underdog kind of vibe going. And then you-know-who got involved, and everyone was like, nope. No. We don't like it. And then, obviously, Belgium was like, 'No, we absolutely can't lose to this team now.'"

Balogun himself told CBS in mid-July that his return to the team caused controversy and nerves among teammates due to the uniqueness of the situation.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, held across multiple host cities, generated billions in revenue and created significant economic benefits, with Trump and Infantino having signed an executive order in March 2025 to establish a task force related to the event.

Sources