Donald Trump has displayed his level of knowledge when it comes to the rules of football with a bizarre rant in the wake of the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun’s suspended red card for the USA.

The President confirmed on Monday afternoon that he did make a call to FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to ask for a review of the incident, which saw the USMNT striker dismissed against Bosnia & Herzegovina in the previous round.

An independent committee eventually ruled that Balogun’s ban would be suspended until next year, a decision that sparked outrage among football fans for the precedent it set. Trump’s involvement and close relationship with Infantino also came under the spotlight as a result.

REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Trump explained his reasoning for getting on the phone with Infantino at the White House when addressing the press. The 80-year-old claimed he didn’t believe it was a foul and asked for a review for that reason.

He said: “All I did was I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul. Again, I’m good at this stuff. I didn’t think it was a foul. I thought it was two great athletes who crashed into each other and got entangled. That was not a guy punching somebody in the face or anything that would be different.”

He then went on to explain he couldn’t tell FIFA what to do, despite seemingly giving them a nudge in a certain direction. But he still made a case for the best players always being allowed to play, regardless of what took place in their previous outing.

Citing Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane in his lengthy rant, Trump continued:

“We gotta have our best players. We gotta have our best and they gotta have their best. And if we win or we lose, it’s fair,” he added.

The main reason behind this stance is that the President had no clue what a red card meant in football, or the ramifications. He admitted: “I didn’t know what the hell a red card was. When I found out, I said, ‘You gotta be kidding!'” Watch his full rant below.

To be asked to referee at the world’s biggest sporting competition is a dream come true for a football official.

FIFA assembles the very best for the job and selects a certain number of highly-regarded officials from across the confederations: UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, AFC, CAF and OFC.

On top of that, for the 2026 World Cup, there are assistant referees and 30 video assistant referees, making this the largest refereeing operation in the tournament’s history, built to cover 104 matches.

Here’s the full breakdown of how it all works; which referees are at the tournament, where they are from, who are the big names and how FIFA decides who refs the final.

World Cup 2026 Referees

REUTERS/Mike Segar

Football fans may know certain individuals from this list. However, due to referees typically playing a secondary role, most will likely only be able to recognise their faces when they see them.

It is important to note the highest-ranking referees. For example, Szymon Marciniak took charge of the 2022 final between Argentina and France and is seen as the most decorated at the tournament.

Of course, Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor are well-known to Premier League fans. The most recent international final, Euro 2024, was refereed by François Letexier.

Other notable finals include Romania’s István Kovács who took charge of the 2025 Champions League final, and Brazil’s Raphael Claus who oversaw the 2024 Copa América final. It resembles somewhat of an all-star officiating team.

How are Referees Chosen?

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Vincent Carchietta

One key question is how are the above referees selected? It stands to reason that you would need to be a top official, experienced on the biggest stage at European finals and top leagues, as well as in international football.

That is true, but candidates have to prove their ability to work alongside the same assistant and VAR teams, as officiating trios are more likely to be picked rather than individuals. Quality first is certainly the mandate for FIFA.

They also have to attend regular seminars and fitness testing and the final list is whittled down and built to withstand elite-level pressure rather than reputation alone.

One fundamental rule is no official can take charge of a match involving their own country, removing any possible conflict of interest. Plus, prior to the tournament beginning, selected referees also completed a preparatory camp, which was a ten-day seminar based in Miami.

Who Will Referee the Final?

As it stands, the referee has not been selected. That is by FIFA’s design, as it doesn’t publish a shortlist for the final — or any knockout match because those are only confirmed a few days before kick-off.

This is based off their performances across the tournament. Typically, the final tends to go to whichever referee has been the most consistent in the eyes of FIFA. That includes correct big-match calls, game management, VAR handling and strong positioning.

The standard rule applies in terms of neutrality. A referee can never oversee a match involving their own nation and the final is no different. Although, it would be naive to suggest that reputation has nothing to do with it.

After all, it is the biggest game in football. It stands to reason that having someone with prior experience of the most high-pressure environment would be a smart move. Marciniak took control of the 2022 final and could do so again, but there is no guarantee. The referee committee will make the call once the semi-finals are complete.