President Donald Trump has called the FIFA World Cup referee who sent off U.S. striker Folarin Balogun in last week’s match against Bosnia-Herzegovina “very suspect” as the controversy over the American’s red card grows.

Speaking at the White House Monday ahead of the U.S.’s last-16 clash with Belgium, where Balogun will now be allowed to play after his one-match ban was effectively lifted, the president said: “I saw the play, and I’m a person that loves sports… That wasn’t a foul.

“That wasn’t even an infraction. This referee, who is a little bit suspect if you check his past. He made a call that nobody could believe. He’s our best player, or one of our best players. And he gave him a red card. I didn’t know what that meant… Yes, I asked for a review by FIFA.

“I didn’t know what the hell a red card was. When I found out, I said, ‘You gotta be kidding!’”

He went on to deny that he had set a destructive precedent for the tournament by making a political intervention before veering off into discussing basketball star Caitlin Clark and the “rather rough” treatment the Indiana Fever player is often subjected to on court.

“I thought our young, wonderful basketball player – Caitlin – I thought she was treated rather rough, if you want to know the truth,” Trump said.

“That was a much different kind of an event. That was a pretty bad event.”

Looking ahead to the U.S.’s knock-out tie with Belgium later, the president concluded: “If they beat us, they can be really proud. The other way, if they beat us, we’ll say – I say it was rigged, just like the election was rigged in 2020, but I won’t get into that.”

The president’s baseless attack on Brazilian official Raphael Claus, who oversaw last week’s 2-0 win for the U.S. over Bosnia in San Francisco and ejected Balogun for a foul on defender Tarik Muharemovic in the 64th minute. The red card saw Balogun not only out for the rest of that game but also suspended for the American’s next clash. That was until FIFA moved Sunday to grant the striker an almost unprecedented reprieve.

Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino – who last year awarded him the inaugural “FIFA Peace Prize,” inviting widespread derision – lobbying him to intervene on Balogun’s behalf.

FIFA obliged, explaining its decision in a statement that read: “In line with Article 27 of the FIFA disciplinary code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year.

“If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”

Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday to thank the federation for “reversing a great injustice” – his first meaningful involvement in the World Cup, having attended none of the games so far despite the U.S. being one of the co-hosts, alongside Canada and Mexico.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously said the U.S. “got screwed” by Balogun’s sending off, signaling official displeasure.

Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House’s World Cup Task Force, also privately reached out to FIFA over the matter, according to reports.

While the development has been welcomed by U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino and playmaker Christian Pulisic, many observers have been more inclined to agree with Belgium’s manager, Rudi Garcia, who said: “I didn’t know that at the World Cup the 5th of July is actually the first of April. It’s April Fools.

“We’re not defending the national team or the federation, we are defending football, integrity. It’s the first time in World Cup history that such a decision has been taken.”

The Royal Belgian Football Association said it was “astonished” by the rule-bending, given that there is no appeal process in place to challenge bookings at the tournament, and Europe’s governing body UEFA said FIFA had “crossed a red line” and made an “unjustifiable” decision.

European pundits reacted with even greater disdain.

Gary Neville said on the U.K.’s ITV Sunday that Balogun’s exemption from the rules “absolutely stinks,” while on the BBC, Wayne Rooney said: “If I’m the USA’s opponent, I’d be absolutely fuming. I think it’s wrong in every way. I think it’s an absolute disgrace.”

Others have warned that the affair could tarnish the on-field achievements of Pochettino’s side, who began their campaign with a thrilling 4-1 win over Paraguay in which Balogun scored twice and went on to win Group D.

Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino (AP Photo)

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he personally spoke to FIFA president Gianni Infantino and asked him to review the red card and one-match suspension handed to Team USA striker Folarin Balogun during the FIFA World Cup match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The suspension was later lifted, allowing Balogun to feature in the United States’ Round of 16 match against Belgium, a decision that has triggered widespread debate.USA are scheduled to take on Belgium in the Round of 16 clash at the Seattle Stadium in Seattle on Monday (5:30 am IST). When asked by a reporter, “Can you describe your phone call with Gianni Infantino about the red card? Belgium is appealing the decision,” Trump confirmed that he had spoken to the FIFA president.Here’s what Trump said:I did. I spoke to Gianni, who’s highly respected, who’s produced the most successful World cup in history by, they say, four times.This isn’t just a success. I actually said, johnny, we’ve got all these games. Each one is turning out to be a Super bowl, and we have all these games. You know, when you think of it, every game is like a Super Bowl.Yes. I watched last night what a game that was with Mexico and England. I mean, two countries. I don’t know the players, although I think Kane is a great player. See, I played golf with him, and I like him a lot. He’s a good golfer, but he’s really great.But I watched and no reason for me to watch. And you couldn’t take your eyes off the game because I said, johnny, you know, you have all these games because they added games in a country where really we don’t. It’s not our main sport, to put it mildly.And this has been four times more successful. He told me last night, the numbers are four times greater. They think 50 or 60 million people are going to be watching the game tonight. I mean, these are getting to be super bowl numbers.But you have a game tonight, and they think they’re projecting a minimum of 50 million people watching a game. We call it soccer. It’s called football, I guess, but we can’t really call it football because it gets a little. There’s a little confusion. So, yeah, you call it soccer. We’re the only ones that do that, but we have football, and football is great, but I’ve never seen anything like it.So I saw the play, and I’m a person that loves sports and was a good athlete. And I understand sports really well. Really well. And that wasn’t a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction.That was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other. You can’t take your foot and properly place it on somebody else’s foot when you’re going, no. These were two great athletes that got tangled up.And this referee, who. Is it a little bit suspect? If you check his. If you check his past. I don’t want to say that because I don’t like to create controversy, but. But very suspect. If you’d like, I’ll provide you with the past.He made a call that nobody could believe. You know, even people on the other side, they say, oh, we got lucky. Wow, that’s.And it’s very interesting. They say they don’t show them in slow motion. And I never realized that I’d never heard of that before, that they’re not allowed to review in slow motion because it’s so different, because you’ll take one little quarter of a second and you’ll see that a hand is touching a neck or you see something.Whereas when you see it in fast motion, it will look like two guys collided, which is really what happened. They got sort of entangled. He didn’t do anything wrong, and he’s our best player, or one of our best players, a very vital player.And he gave him a red card. I didn’t know what that meant. I didn’t think it meant much. Then I started hearing that that means he can’t play in the next game. At least in the next game.I said, boy, that’s a big. You know, if it happened to another player, it would have been unfair. But when they take your best player, or just about, they have some great players, but. And they say you can’t play, that’s very unfair.That’s. You know, it’s one thing to penalize somebody for the game, but how do you penalize them for a game that hasn’t been played yet? It’s very unfair. You can’t do that.So, yes, I asked for a review by FIFA. I spoke to a man who’s highly respected and, by the way, whose level of respect has gone up tenfold.

Folarin Balogun red card: What exactly happened

Balogun, the American top-scored in the tournament with three goals, received a red card for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia-Herzegovina in a 2-0 round of 32 win on Wednesday, triggering an automatic one-game suspension.FIFA announced Sunday that the suspension had been lifted for the round of 16 match, an extraordinary move that triggered praise from Trump and outrage from Belgium’s team. It appeared to be the first time since 1962 that a red card during a World Cup did not result in a suspension.“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump later said in a statement on social media.The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was “astonished,” and Belgium coach Rudi Garcia mocked FIFA’s action.“I didn’t know that in the offices of FIFA the fifth of July was the first of April in Europe,” Garcia said through a translator in an April Fools’ Day comparison. “The Belgian federation does not defend itself, it does not protect the national team. She defends football in general, she defends her integrity, her ethics. I think it’s the first time in the history of the World Cup that there is this kind of decision.”FIFA said its decision relied on Article 27 of disciplinary committee rules.“The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure,” the rule states. “By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years.”

David Benavidez has outlined his strategy to face an inferior opponent, collect another title and negotiate a more lucrative deal with Al Haymon’s PBC.

‘The Mexican Monster’ comes off a sixth-round finish over Gilberto Ramirez, who he dethroned for the WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles in May.

In doing so, Benavidez became a three-division world champion and cemented himself as a top 10 pound-for-pound operator, while still holding the WBC strap at 175lbs.

The 29-year-old has therefore afforded himself several options for his next outing, which seems likely to be against WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian.

It was initially reported that Mikaelian, who comes off a unanimous decision victory over Badou Jack in December, would be facing Zuffa champion Jai Opetaia later this year.

Since those talks commenced, though, Benavidez has become the WBC mandatory challenger at 200lbs, seemingly attempting to torpedo negotiations between Opetaia and Mikaelian.

In any case, the Mexican-American has told Luis Parra that he expects to secure a three-belt unification match, which would signify the final fight on his promotional contract with PBC.

“Right now, I have to be very smart with my fights, because this is the last fight on my contract with PBC. I’m negotiating a new contract. I don’t want to take the hardest fight in the last fight of my deal.

“What I am going to do is fight another champion at cruiserweight, and after I win that fight, I’ll have [one world title] at light-heavyweight and three titles at cruiserweight. That gives me more leverage to negotiate a bigger contract.”

While Mikaelian represents a solid opponent, Benavidez has previously expressed his desire to face Dmitry Bivol in a far more appealing undisputed light-heavyweight clash.

But if both champions keep hold of their belts at 175lbs, then perhaps this matchup could be explored at some point in 2027.

Alex Eala of the Philippines blows kisses to the crowd after losing the women’s singles fourth round match against Jasmine Paolini of Italy at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Monday, July 6, 2026.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

LIVE: Alex Eala vs Jasmine Paolini – Wimbledon round of 16

MANILA, Philippines–Alex Eala’s golden run at Wimbledon hit the end of the road on Monday night.

Eala went down swinging before falling to Italian world No. 13 and former finalist Jasmine Paolini, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, in the round of 16 in front of a star-studded crowd at Centre Court that included Roger Federer.

READ: Alex Eala targets Wimbledon quarterfinals, more history for Philippines

A standing ovation from Centre Court.

Alex Eala 🫶 🇵🇭#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/FDHP2mVjda

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 6, 2026

The loss did not diminish Eala’s historic campaign on tennis’ most grandiose stage.

In another trail-blazing bid, Eala became the first Filipino to reach the round of 16 in a Grand Slam singles tournament after she unseated defending champion Iga Swiatek in straight sets on Saturday.

The 30-year-old Paolini, a former world No. 4, evened the score against Eala after losing to the Filipino ace in the Dubai Tennis Championships round of 32 last February.

Paolini, who made the All England Club final two years ago, booked a spot in the quarterfinals against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk set Wednesday.

Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump said he personally asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the red card and one-match suspension handed to Team USA striker Folarin Balogun, a move that has sparked major controversy at the FIFA World Cup, according to CNN.FIFA later announced that Balogun would be eligible to play in the Round of 16 clash against Belgium after lifting his suspension, a decision that triggered political debate and raised questions over the integrity of the tournament. “All I did was ask for a review. I didn’t say, ‘You have to do this,’” Trump said from the Oval Office, as quoted by CNN, adding that he “didn’t think it was a foul.” “I didn’t tell him what to do, I can’t tell him what to do,” he said, adding that an independent committee “made the right decision.”Balogun, the American top-scored in the tournament with three goals, received a red card for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia-Herzegovina in a 2-0 round of 32 win on Wednesday, triggering an automatic one-game suspension.FIFA announced Sunday that the suspension had been lifted for the round of 16 match, an extraordinary move that triggered praise from Trump and outrage from Belgium’s team. “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump later said in a statement on social media.The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was “astonished,” and Belgium coach Rudi Garcia mocked FIFA’s action.“I didn’t know that in the offices of FIFA the fifth of July was the first of April in Europe,” Garcia said through a translator in an April Fools’ Day comparison. “The Belgian federation does not defend itself, it does not protect the national team. She defends football in general, she defends her integrity, her ethics. I think it’s the first time in the history of the World Cup that there is this kind of decision.”FIFA said its decision relied on Article 27 of disciplinary committee rules.“The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure,” the rule states. “By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years.”

The VRC-CRV Winter Championship Series Final at Flemington saw an unexpected victor in Detonator Jack, who broke a long winless streak thanks to a favourable set of circumstances.

Previously winless for 952 days, Detonator Jack had struggled in the David Bourke Handicap at his prior start, finishing behind all other runners. However, he demonstrated a marked improvement third-up on Saturday to clinch the Listed mile feature by a short neck.

Sent out at odds of $20 with John Allen in the saddle, Detonator Jack recorded his first victory since capturing The Gong at Kembla Grange in November 2023. National assistant trainer Jack Turnbull explained that the stable had employed a variety of training methods to revive the horse’s old form.

“There were a lot of elements of the race today that worked for Jack in the sense of fitness, he was third up, blinkers were on, we got a nice cut in the ground and we drew low,” Turnbull remarked. “Still a little bit hesitant whether or not he wanted to be there or not, but credit to the whole team, we’ve been playing around them at home, tread, jumping, different track gallops, just trying to rejuvenate him and we got it done.”

“Tread training was a big factor, Track Kat (Katrina Anderson) had a bit to do with him there, and we’ve just schooled him down at Cranbourne. Obviously it’s been a long time between drinks, but we’ve kept saying that at home he’s wanted to be there, and he wants to do it, we just hadn’t seen it race day.”

Turnbull also highlighted the specific booking of jockey John Allen, who had previously guided the horse to three wins early in his career. Allen, however, confessed to being skeptical about the horse’s ability to turn his form around so swiftly.

“He’s always had good ability and he’s obviously won better races than today,” Allen said. “I was very sceptical looking at his run the last day, I thought it was very plain, but Ciaron said he’d changed a few things up during the week and done a bit of schooling with him and stuff, just trying to sharpen him up and it’s certainly done the trick.”

Check out the betting markets for the race at Australian betting sites.

Johan Manzambi is of interest to Manchester United and Newcastle after both clubs were impacted by Sandro Tonali’s move to Tottenham

Newcastle United have reportedly been informed they are ahead of Manchester United in the pursuit of World Cup sensation Johan Manzambi. The Switzerland international has registered three goals and two assists in the United States, attracting attention from several Premier League sides.

The Freiburg player, who contributed to 16 goals during the 2025/26 campaign, has particularly impressed on the world stage. His current club are naturally looking to capitalise on his elevated profile and have placed a £51million valuation on him, according to Sky Sports Germany.

The Magpies are keeping close tabs on Manzambi’s situation and should Newcastle formalise a pursuit, they would almost certainly be favourites to secure the 20-year-old.

That is because, according to The Daily Mail, Eddie Howe’s side are leading the chase for his signature, with the financial aspects involving both the player and club not thought to be problematic.

It has also been reported that United remain in contention for him, having maintained a long-standing interest, though their immediate priority is said to be Alex Scott.

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Newcastle are also searching for a new central midfielder following the sale of Sandro Tonali to Tottenham for £100m. Despite operating in a more advanced role at the World Cup, Manzambi featured 25 times for Freiburg in midfield and could therefore serve as Tonali’s successor.

United were in contention for Tonali before concluding that the transfer fee and his wage demands were prohibitively expensive. Judging by comments from the man himself, even if they had declared a concrete interest, he would have still joined Spurs.

Upon being announced as a new signing by the club, he said: “I’m very happy to be here. When I arrived at the club today, it felt fantastic. People said about there being four or five clubs – there was only one. I spoke to the head coach for close to two hours about the club, the fans, the stadium and our football.

“It was like magic because I knew immediately that I had to sign for Tottenham. I’ve played against Tottenham a few times and always found a great atmosphere made by great fans. I can’t wait to start the season.”

United do at least look set to sign Atalanta star Ederson. The move looked set to go through before the World Cup but his late inclusion to the Brazil squad delayed the second part of his medical.

Financial reasons played a role in United not signing Elliot Anderson, whom Nottingham Forest sold to Manchester City for a remarkable £116million.

Mateus Fernandes also opted for a move to Spurs over United with West Ham receiving £85million for his departure.

His former club team-mate Crysencio Summerville is also on the radar of Old Trafford chiefs with Fulham and Chelsea among the clubs looking to take advantage of the Hammers’ relegation.

Former heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs has given his prediction for the strongly rumoured showdown between Oleksandr Usyk and Deontay Wilder.

Last week, Usyk announced the decision to vacate the WBC, IBF and WBA. However, the Ukrainian confirmed he wouldn’t be retiring straightaway, targeting one more fight before hanging up the gloves on a stellar career.

Talks to face former WBC titlist Wilder have restarted after stalling earlier in the year. Usyk’s team has made it clear that the three-time undisputed champion wants to headline in the US before retiring, and Wilder, as one of this era’s standouts, makes sense. ‘The Bronze Bomber’s team have said they are open to taking the fight.

Speaking to Wilder in a clip captured by ES News, fellow knockout artist Briggs advised ‘The Bronze Bomber’ on how to approach the match-up. ‘The Cannon’ concluded that the American would be able to win against the undefeated Usyk.

“He’s gonna fight Usyk and I’m rooting for him. He deserves the fight because he’s fought  so many fights and defended his title so many times.”

“I want you to win that fight. You are going to do your thing. I know you are going to pull it off, too, with that right hand you got. Listen champ, just line him up, line him up. Hit them on top of the head.”

“He’s gonna come like this [in the southpaw stance] and he don’t leave much [open]. But, with that right hand you got, right down the middle… You’re gonna do it.”

Wilder is coming off a rare points victory over Derek Chisora in Manchester, and had been understood to be considering a rematch before this opportunity presented itself. With talks reportedly now ongoing behind the scenes, fans may not have to wait too long for an announcement, though Usyk is also considering a left-field fight with former UFC champion Jon Jones.