Trump’s corruption poisons everything, even the World Cup

This is the lowest moment in the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team history. A 4-1 loss to Belgium in the FIFA World Cup as hosts in Seattle is the reflection that our nation’s soccer federation and fans will have to face.

Our loss came hours after a Trump White House press conference in which he bragged about asking Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, to overturn Team USA’s Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension that he picked up in the prior match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. When a player receives a red card in soccer, they must not only leave the current game but are suspended from playing their next match as well, in this case against Belgium.

Infantino and FIFA complied with Trump’s demand. Our president, our team, and our international perception were suddenly the villains of the soccer world. The Royal Belgian Football Association and UEFA, Europe’s soccer governing body, immediately condemned FIFA’s decision.

No matter how embarrassing any other team’s loss might be, only the U.S. National Team can claim to be on the wrong side of a corruption scandal. Infantino already handed Trump a make-believe “FIFA Peace Prize” earlier this year. Under Infantino, state interference in soccer has seen a steady rise over the years. On June 29th human rights organization FairSquare released a letter signed by 50 European Parliament members that calls on the FIFA ethics committee to investigate Infantino. Now, the crooked FIFA president has outdone himself.

After Monday night’s defeat, we in the USA are losers both on and off the field.

Despite the fact that the World Cup journey can only end with one team lifting the trophy, many countries leave the tournament as people’s champions. There are teams that, despite their eventual loss, win over the hearts of fans around the world. That team in this tournament was the African nation Cabo Verde.

Cabo Verde lost a fingernail-biting match to the 2022 World Cup champions Argentina last Friday. However, before their loss, they collected a few draws against some of the best teams in the world, like Spain. The fact they played a knockout game at all was a shock to fans and pundits. A country with a population of just over 500,000 played with grit on the world stage, and in the process won the world’s heart.

In an interview with Men in Blazers following Cabo Verde’s debut draw against Spain on June 15, the team’s goalkeeper, Vozinha, told the interviewer that “after this World Cup, everyone will know where Cabo Verde is and who Cabo Verde is.”

At the time, Vozinha had no idea the heights to which his country’s team would rise. Just a few matches later, he and his team would take on Argentina and the greatest player in the world, Lionel Messi, with a chance to put the #1 ranked team to bed. They lost by a goal.

When the Cabo Verde squad arrived back home on Sunday, the cheering crowd of thousands of supporters was just a taste of how much soccer fans adored this team. They were and are a testament that when a team plays with heart and goodwill, they can still go home loved and celebrated after a loss.

The United States’ team, on the other hand, has no return journey. Our players don’t have to travel thousands of miles in order to confront their fans. We will also not be the only team scorned by supporters following their exit, just as South Korean fans did to their coach following a disappointing group stage exit.

The second biggest soccer governing body in the world, UEFA, didn’t let the controversy over Infantino’s caving to Trump go unchecked. In a statement posted to their website, UEFA expressed their “disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible, and unjustifiable decision.” A soccer organization representing a combined population of hundreds of millions of people now has its sights set on the U.S. Soccer Federation and FIFA—all because our president couldn’t keep his paws off the biggest sporting event in the world.

The right move for the U.S. Soccer Federation prior to the Belgium match-up would have been to say it wanted no part of Trump’s corruption and would honor the original red card. In that case, even if the U.S. had lost the game last night, our team would still exit the tournament honorably. The U.S. federation had the opportunity to put its foot down against blatant cheating and play with heart. Instead, our players hit the field on the coattails of presidential corruption.

Now, we exit the tournament as losers and cheaters. American fans need a national team that can be a symbol of the country we want, a symbol of hope and justice. When we accept the results of corruption in cowardice with our tails between our legs, it sends a message to future generations that cheating is more important than determination.

Will the United States win the World Cup in 2030? That is a question only the players and coaches can have a say in. Will the United States enter the tournament as a team of respect and dignity? That we can answer. We, as fans, can answer that question by throwing Trump and his entire posse out of office. Only we can turn the U.S Soccer Federation into an institution where victory does not come at the price of dignity.

Vozinha knew that after this World Cup fans will see Cabo Verde on a map and have a feeling of courage and tenacity. When global soccer fans see the United States, what will they think? That’s up to us.

As with all op-eds published by People’s World, the views expressed here are those of the author.

We hope you appreciated this article. At People’s World, we believe news and information should be free and accessible to all, but we need your help. Our journalism is free of corporate influence and paywalls because we are totally reader-supported. Only you, our readers and supporters, make this possible. If you enjoy reading People’s World and the stories we bring you, please support our work by donating or becoming a monthly sustainer today. Thank you!