Critics have pointed to the glaring irony of Donald Trump's intervention in the 2026 FIFA World Cup to help get U.S. star Folarin Balogun's red-card suspension overturned ahead of Monday's Round of 16 clash with Belgium.
They noted on social media that Balogun is only eligible to play for the U.S. men's national team because he is a birthright citizen, after an airline in 2001 denied his British citizen mother from boarding a flight home because she was too close to giving birth to him, and then gave birth in Brooklyn.
Birthright Citizenship at the Center of Controversy
The constitutional right that Balogun enjoys is the very same one that Trump has spent years trying to end and whose attempts to do so were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court this month.
Balogun, who plays his club soccer for Monaco in France's Ligue 1, was sent off during the United States' Round of 32 victory over Bosnia & Herzegovina, triggering an automatic one-match suspension.
After many fans and pundits argued the red card was unjust, Trump reportedly called FIFA's Peace Prize-awarding President Gianni Infantino to request a review. FIFA announced on Sunday that the suspension had been overturned.
Trump's Truth Social Post and Public Reaction
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
While Balogun's reincorporation into the team was celebrated by many, critics pointed out the hypocrisy of Trump's move and also suggested that America's run in the competition had now been tainted.
Social Media Erupts with Irony
Harry Sisson tweeted: “Folarin Balogun is an American citizen because of birthright citizenship. Trump just tried to get rid of it at the Supreme Court. Sounds like he's a fan now!”
Firstpost noted: “Trump fought birthright citizenship. Now he's helped keep a birthright citizen at the World Cup. The irony behind Folarin Balogun's FIFA reprieve is hard to miss.”
Mehdi Hasan simply repeated: “Birthright citizen! Birthright citizen! Birthright citizen!”
Julia Ioffe highlighted: “The irony of Trump calling FIFA to overturn a red card for Balogun because he knows the U.S. can't win without Balogun, who only qualifies for the U.S. team because of birthright citizenship, which Trump just tried to overturn.”
Pablo Torre declared: “Big win for birthright citizenship.”
DBRN joked: “Look Trump does love birthright citizenship.”
Ben O'Hara-Byrne wrote: “Heartwarming to see Trump and Lutnick go to such lengths to help out a birthright citizen who spent the first two months of his life in the US and grew up in London. Remember it next time a douche like Stephen Miller or some other Trump stooge talks about immigrants/refugees.”
Jamie Bonkiewicz observed: “Fun fact: Birthright citizenship suddenly seems pretty valuable to Donald Trump when the birthright citizen is scoring goals for Team USA.”
jjwagner questioned: “So Trump opposes birthright citizenship, unless he can take credit for the benefits of it, huh???”
Abdulsalam summed up: “Trump has spent years trying to end birthright citizenship, only to call FIFA himself to help Folarin Balogun, an American by birth, get cleared to face Belgium in the World Cup Round of 16. Turns out birthright citizenship is terrible… until you need goals.”
Jamie Slater echoed: “The irony of Trump calling FIFA to overturn a red card for Balogun because he knows the U.S. can't win without Balogun, who only qualifies for the U.S. team because of birthright citizenship, which Trump just tried to overturn.”
Matt Parker quipped: “Donald Trump taking his FIFA Peace Prize out for a ride to defend a birthright citizen. Probably my favorite part of America 250.”
PatriotDaughter added: “Funny how now the Trump administration is in favor of birthright citizenship.”
