Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House’s World Cup taskforce, defended Donald Trump’s lobbying efforts directed at FIFA to lift the suspension of US player Folarin Balogun for an upcoming match against Belgium. Trump expressed concerns about Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, who issued a red card to Balogun during a previous match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, suggesting that Claus's past was questionable. This comment referenced a match-fixing investigation by Brazil’s senate in 2024, which looked into referee assignments but did not implicate Claus in any wrongdoing.
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White House World Cup taskforce head defends Trump's lobbying of FIFA regarding player suspension
Andrew Giuliani, leading the White House's World Cup taskforce, supported Donald Trump's lobbying of FIFA to lift the suspension of US player Folarin Balogun. Trump raised concerns about referee Raphael Claus, who issued the red card to Balogun, citing a past investigation that did not accuse Claus of any misconduct.
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Andrew Giuliani
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White House’s World Cup head defends Trump lobbying Fifa over red card
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White House World Cup taskforce head defends Trump's lobbying of FIFA regarding player suspension