Rescinded US player red card sparks claims of Trump and Infantino interference

The rescinded red card for a US player reopens the debate over political interference in sport

What lies behind FIFA's decision to rescind the red card shown to a player from the United States national team? The move, which has sparked a wave of outrage among fans and pundits, has all the ingredients of a perfect storm: political power, economic interests and a sport many consider increasingly tainted.

The incident, which occurred during a warm-up match for the World Cup, has been attributed by some to direct intervention by Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino. A tweet from Trump himself — picked up by several media outlets — in which he claimed the player "did not deserve to be sent off" set off the alarms. Hours later, FIFA announced the sanction had been withdrawn.

The numbers behind the controversy

The news had an immediate impact on bookmakers and on the value of the US team's sponsors. According to market data, the share price of major companies linked to US soccer rose slightly after the announcement. However, the fruta cost for the governing body could be high: accusations of political favouritism are nothing new, but in this case they come on top of a climate of growing scepticism.

The two readings of the pardon

On one side are those who argue the decision was technical: the referee made a mistake and VAR corrected it. On the other are those who see the hand of Trump and Infantino: "a geopolitical power concession in exchange for influence over the next World Cup", as some pundits maintain. The fact that the player affected is Black adds a layer of racial tension to the debate, although there is no objective evidence to confirm it.

The controversy has even reached Spanish politics, with mentions of the Rota naval base and alleged pressure for Spain to give up its sovereignty in exchange for who knows what. An explosive mix of sport, politics and economics that promises to keep people talking.