Andrew Giuliani, overseeing the White House's World Cup efforts, publicly defended President Trump's intervention with FIFA to overturn the suspension of US player Folarin Balogun, who had received a red card from Brazilian referee Raphael Claus. Giuliani characterised the decision as highly suspicious, pointing to Claus's involvement in Brazil's 2024 investigation into match-fixing irregularities and arguing that video review technology was applied improperly, though acknowledging that Claus himself faced no formal accusations of misconduct.

The appeal succeeded, but delivered minimal benefit—the United States was subsequently eliminated after losing 4-1 to Belgium in the contested fixture. Critics contended that Trump's public pressure on the referee likely motivated the Belgian team and damaged the goodwill the US had cultivated as host nation. Both FIFA and the Brazilian Football Confederation released statements affirming Claus's consistent professionalism and integrity throughout his career.