US World Cup Envoy Giuliani Escalates: Referee Claus Remains Under Pressure After Balogun Affair

Giuliani also acknowledged that Claus had been listed only as a witness in those investigations, not as a suspect. When a Brazilian reporter raised this fact, Giuliani said: "He was not accused of any crime. I am merely saying that he was linked to an investigation into match manipulation in Brazil some years ago that involved — and I quote — 'unlawful red cards.'" Giuliani thus implicitly rejected the claim that Claus himself had been accused — yet still insisted on his version of events.

Background: The Red Card Against Balogun

US President Donald Trump had already publicly attacked the referee beforehand. Trump had called the Brazilian "somewhat suspicious" "when you look at his past." Giuliani has now expanded this criticism and also attacked the work of the video assistant. He claimed that the VAR procedure in the incident had violated the rules: "And when you also consider that the VAR process was applied incorrectly: For contact fouls, you are actually not allowed to use slow-motion images in the VAR review — and that is exactly what was done. Those are the facts."

The affair was triggered by the USA's match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on July 1. Claus had sent Folarin Balogun off in that game. The striker would thereby have been automatically suspended for the round-of-16 match against Belgium. The US government then intervened, and the round-of-16 match became a political issue in advance. Three days after the sending-off, however, the independent Disciplinary Commission ruled that, while the automatic one-match suspension would be imposed, its enforcement would be suspended for one year on probation, in accordance with Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

Giuliani hailed the decision as a success: "The right result" had been achieved, he said. The US government had treated the case as a matter of "fair play." "We wanted to make sure that decisions on the pitch are fair. We achieved that." He said they stood by the measures that had been taken. According to Giuliani, the US federation had successfully lodged an "appeal." FIFA, however, in its official statement of July 6 does not refer to an "appeal" and firmly rejects any doubts about Claus's integrity.

FIFA and Collina Reject the Accusations

FIFA and Pierluigi Collina, who is responsible for referees, backed the official. Collina said the Brazilian had "consistently demonstrated the highest level of professionalism and integrity" throughout his career. FIFA President Gianni Infantino also found himself caught in the crossfire after Trump had personally called him to advocate on Balogun's behalf. "Because of the 'Balogun affair,' the USA's match against Belgium had already become a political issue beforehand," wrote the "Süddeutsche Zeitung."

For the USA, however, the sporting impact of the decision remained limited. Although Balogun was in the squad for the match against Belgium following the disciplinary ruling, the game ended in a clear 1:4 defeat. That eliminated the USA, who are appearing as co-hosts of the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, from the tournament. Belgium, for their part, will face Spain in the quarterfinals and heads into the knockout round brimming with confidence after the last-minute drama against Senegal.

While FIFA emphasizes the independence of its bodies, the case raises fundamental questions: Is it permissible for a government to interfere in ongoing sports-law proceedings of a world federation when it is itself a host of the tournament? Giuliani sees it differently. He reiterated that the US government had considered the sending-off "highly questionable" from the start and spoke of an "improper" application of VAR.

Government Intervention: The Political Dimension of the Case

Observers view the episode as an unprecedented intervention by a government in sports justice. The Balogun affair has thus acquired a political dimension beyond the sporting one — one that could further strain the already tense relationship between Washington and international football's governing body. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has repeatedly been perceived in the past as close to Trump; the Balogun affair now shows just how thin the ice is on which he is moving.

Giuliani's account of the timeline has also caused confusion. He said the US government had considered the sending-off highly questionable from the start and had applied pressure accordingly. Yet between the red card on July 1 and the Disciplinary Commission's decision on July 4, only a few days passed — too short for a regular appeal procedure in the classical sense. FIFA insists that its disciplinary bodies decided independently and under their own rules.

While some celebrate the incident as a victory for the principle of fair play, critics see a dangerous precedent: If governments in future pick up the phone over red cards because a referee appears "suspicious" to them, the independence of sports justice comes under pressure. FIFA, which has resisted political interference in the past, is unlikely to accept this intrusion in the long run.

Impact on the Tournament and Other World Cup Results

Alongside the affair, other news made headlines: According to media reports, Balogun, 25, sustained only a minor muscle strain and is hoping for a quick comeback. In addition, 17-year-old Mexican national team player Gilberto Mora, who was eliminated in the round of 16 with co-host Mexico, received his diploma from a German-Mexican school.

FIFA also referred in its statement to ongoing World Cup matches. Belgium advanced with a dramatic 3:2 victory over Senegal after trailing 0:2, France battled past Paraguay, and Morocco progressed to the quarterfinals with a 3:0 win over co-host Canada. Even though these results are only tangentially related to the Balogun affair, they illustrate the sporting context into which the political intervention from Washington fell.

Open Questions and Outlook

It remains unclear how FIFA will handle similar cases in the future. The federation has announced that it will not comment further on the role of the US government. The Disciplinary Commission justified its decision on July 4 solely on the basis of Article 27 of the Disciplinary Code, which allows a suspension to be suspended on probation. The fact that FIFA's official statement does not expressly refer to an "appeal" by the US federation suggests that the world body wants deliberately to downplay the political nature of the proceedings.

Meanwhile, the remaining teams are preparing for the quarterfinals. Belgium faces Spain, Morocco takes on France. The USA, however, have already been eliminated — the question of whether Balogun could have played in the round of 16 has been answered on the pitch, but politically it remains open.