US World Cup exit deepens tensions after Trump intervention over Balogun

WASHINGTON: The United States' World Cup departure after a 4-1 defeat to Belgium has been portrayed as another blow to a tense national mood that had already sharpened during the July Fourth period, with President Donald Trump's intervention in a disciplinary matter involving striker Folarin Balogun drawing the team into a wider political confrontation.

The US side had previously won over many Americans despite soccer's limited appeal in the country. Crowds had sung Country Roads in support of the team, while social media carried praise from overseas fans for what was described as the American way of life. But before the match in Seattle, the atmosphere changed after Trump stepped in with FIFA to overturn a red card issued to Balogun.

Trump's move secured Balogun's availability, but also triggered backlash. Belgians were angered, notable figures in football around the world reacted with dismay, and US supporters split along the same pro- and anti-Trump lines seen in broader political life.

Rob Dauster, co-founder of The Field of 68, said the shift had damaged the goodwill around the tournament.

“We went from.. a World Cup that made everyone fall in love with all distinctly American parts of our daily life to reminding everyone why 90% of the global population hates us”, he added.

Sports writer Shane Ryan also linked the controversy directly to the team.

“This team had a boatload of good vibes behind them and in the last 48 hours that vanished, and replacing it was a story of implicit political corruption that turned them into the bad guys”, he added.

The criticism was not limited to Trump's opponents. Sage Steel, identified as a pro-Trump commentator, wrote on X: "I wish President Trump hadn't gotten involved."

Holiday tensions and political backdrop

The fallout from the US defeat was connected to a broader political climate surrounding Independence Day. The country had already gone through a difficult Fourth of July marked by fierce political division. It cited Trump's mixed martial arts contest in a specially built cage at the White House the previous month as part of the backdrop, followed by his dispute over the Reflecting Pool on Washington's National Mall, where he has claimed leftist radicals were trying to damage expensive upgrades he had ordered.

Trump used his speech on the 250th anniversary of American independence to deliver insults against opponents and warnings of a communist threat. He made similar remarks a day earlier at Mount Rushmore.

Against that backdrop, the match against Belgium had seemed likely to offer a respite from the country's political rancour, until the dispute over Balogun overtook the buildup.

Mary Trump, identified as a psychologist and the president's niece who is highly critical of him, said the same pattern ran through the summer's disputes. "casts a shadow over everything."