If President Donald Trump had his way, the breakout star of the United States’ World Cup run would not be an American citizen.
Despite that, Trump reportedly worked the refs over the weekend to help ensure that player, Folarin Balogun, will be on the field Monday night when the U.S. takes on Belgium in a must-win match.
For those who haven’t been following the story, here are the stakes. Balogun, who has scored three goals to lead the U.S. during this World Cup, was given a (questionable) red card during Wednesday’s victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. A red card is supposed to carry a one-game suspension, which would require Balogun to miss tonight’s game.
On Sunday, tournament organizer FIFA announced that Balogun would be allowed to play against Belgium, following an administrative review of the red card. This has caused a lot of controversy in the football world—the Belgian coach called the decision “April Fool’s Day,” and the Royal Belgian Football Association (a ridiculous name) is planning to take legal action.
Trump’s role here is noteworthy. On Sunday, several media outlets reported that he had asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to reinstate Balogun. Other journalists went further, describing a sprawling, White House-organized effort to twist FIFA’s arm, while some conflicting reports also emerged that cast Trump’s phone call with Infantino in a more innocent light.
For now, Politico seems to have the definitive rundown of the effort on Balogun’s behalf, covering “four days of coordinated lobbying, legal maneuvering and diplomacy that stretched from the Oval Office to FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich.”
Suffice it to say that Trump has put considerable work into influencing this decision, one that very well could change the outcome of tonight’s game and the course of the tournament.
And he did all of that on behalf of a player who is now probably the most prominent American beneficiary of birthright citizenship. Fate sure does have a sense of humor.
Birthright citizenship is, of course, a policy that Trump recently tried to abolish and that the Supreme Court affirmed in a ruling handed down last week. Balogun was born in the United States because an airline refused to allow his pregnant mother to board a plane as she sought to return to the United Kingdom.
If he hadn’t been born in the U.S., Falogun would likely be playing for England or Nigeria. (Under FIFA rules, he would be eligible to play in the U.S. because he was born here, regardless of his citizenship. There is no part of this situation that is as clear-cut as one might like.)
Instead, he is absolutely crushing it for the United States of America. That’s great.
Trump’s actions this weekend are what economists would call a “revealed preference.” We often say we want one thing but then choose something else when actually presented with the options. Trump has tried to end birthright citizenship. Some of his supporters were downright apoplectic about the Supreme Court’s ruling last week. Trump’s chief of staff, Stephen Miller, called it “the gravest and most preposterous of all constitutional abominations.”
When actually presented with the thing he supposedly wants, however, Trump revealed that he would rather have Balogun on the team. The extent of his intervention might be debatable, but his opinion on the matter is quite clear.
Should Balogun be allowed to play? It is hard to say. The original red card was a bad call and shouldn’t have been given. But overturning the suspension is arguably also the wrong thing to do. It would be better if FIFA had clear rules for reviewing and adjudicating such suspensions, as many soccer leagues around the world do, so these sorts of things weren’t decided in seemingly arbitrary, possibly unfair ways that add to the stench of FIFA corruption.
If I’m forced to take a side, I’d say that this might be the rare case where two wrongs actually do make a right, and letting Balogun be on the field seems like the fairest outcome. Either way, it’s a bummer that this whole mess has cast a shadow over what has been an excellent tournament and a thrilling run for the U.S. team.
Regardless, don’t underrate the policy angle here. Whether he would ever admit as much, the president knows America is stronger when it has access to the best soccer players. The same logic should apply to scientists, entrepreneurs, and so on. America should not be artificially handicapping its access to the next Balogun—not just in sports, but in the fields that matter more than a soccer pitch.
