Donald Trump reacts to England's World Cup win over Mexico following red card controversy
It looks like Donald Trump might have a new favourite footballer... and it's not Folarin Balogun.
The US president is not usually one to comment on football, but it looks like he might be getting a taste for the sport.
That's what a World Cup can do to you.
Trump reportedly reached out to FIFA president Gianni Infantino ahead of FIFA's decision to suspend Folarin Balogun's one-game ban and allow the striker to play against Belgium.
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Balogun was sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last 32, which comes with automatic one-match ban or, at least, it usually does.
Instead, FIFA has decided to allow him to play after U.S. Soccer reportedly launched a legal challenge on the basis of how VAR was applied to come to the dismissal.
Maybe England should ask if Jarell Quansah can play in the next game, eh?
The decision has been slammed by an 'astonished' Belgium, while the US are obviously quite happy with it.
Trump took to Truth Social to thank FIFA for lifting the ban, writing: "Thank you to Fifa for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice! President DONALD J. TRUMP."
But now Trump's interests are even going beyond his own country's side as he's made a comment on England's heroic win over Mexico.
Donald Trump labels one England player as 'GREAT'
Fighting altitude and thunderstorms in the fortress of the Azteca, England battled to a 3-2 win over Mexico in the last 16.
It eventually transpired that Harry Kane got the winning goal, with the captain fantastic ignoring all the noise to coolly dispatch a penalty.
Trump was clearly left impressed by the striker, as he took to his own social media platform Truth Social to pay him a huge compliment.
"Harry Kane of England is a GREAT player!!!" Trump wrote.
There was far more to the game than Kane's winner, though, as the nerve-shredding triumph will go down as a certified World Cup classic.
Jude Bellingham quietened a deafening Azteca when he scored two goals in two minutes, but Mexico did not go down without a fight.
Julian Quinones fired back before the break and England looked in real trouble when Quansah was shown a red card for a reckless tackle, leaving the side with just 10 men for almost 50 minutes.
Kane scored from the spot to restore a two-goal lead, but nine minutes later he gave away a penalty at the other end, which was scored by Raul Jimenez.
That set up more than 30 minutes of back-to-the-wall, all-on-the-line defending, with John Stones, Dan Burn and Djed Spence all making sensational last-ditch tackles to keep England ahead.
The full-time whistle sparked emotional celebrations, but there was some bad news as Jordan Henderson suffered a serious arm injury after appearing to fall while climbing over an advertising board.
Though manager Thomas Tuchel was angry with the refereeing after the match, he couldn't help but be overjoyed with the win.
"If a team has heart and belief, then it’s this team. They did it on pure will," the manager said.
"I have no words. That’s an iconic match, an iconic stadium. We overcame so much adversity today. Very proud."
Next up, England will climb down from the heights of Mexico City into the heat of Miami, where they'll face Norway - who dumped out Brazil thanks to two Erling Haaland goals - in the quarter-finals.
2026 World Cup results so far
Monday 6 July
Round of 16 - Match 92: Mexico vs England, 2-3
Sunday 5 July
Round of 16 - Match 91: Brazil vs Norway, 1-2
Saturday 4 July
Round of 32 - Match 87: Colombia vs Ghana, 1-0
Round of 16 - Match 90: Canada vs Morocco, 0-3
Round of 16 - Match 89: Paraguay vs France, 0-1
Friday 3 July
Round of 32 - Match 83: Portugal vs Croatia, 2-1
Round of 32 - Match 85: Switzerland vs Algeria, 2-0
Round of 32 - Match 88: Australia vs Egypt, 1-1 (2-4 on penalties)
Round of 32 - Match 86: Argentina vs Cabo Verde, 3-2
Thursday, 2 July
Round of 32 - Match 81: USA vs Bosnia & Herzegovnia, 2-0
Round of 32 - Match 84: Spain vs Austria, 3-0
Wednesday, 1 July
Round of 32 - Match 79: Mexico vs Ecuador, 2-0
Round of 32 - Match 80: England vs DR Congo, 2-1
Round of 32 - Match 82: Belgium vs Senegal, 3-2
Tuesday, 30 June
Round of 32 - Match 75: Netherlands vs Morocco, 1-1 (3-2)
Round of 32 - Match 78: Ivory Coast vs Norway, 2-1
Round of 32 - Match 77: France vs Sweden, 3-0
Monday, 29 June
Round of 32 - Match 76: Brazil vs Japan, 2-1
Round of 32 - Match 74: Germany vs Paraguay, 1-1 (4-3)
Sunday, 28 June
Group K: Colombia vs Portugal, 0-0
Group K: DR Congo vs Uzbekistan, 3-1
Group J: Algeria vs Austria, 3-3
Group J: Jordan vs Argentina, 3-1
Round of 32 - Match 73: South Africa vs Canada, 1-0
Saturday, 27 June
Group H: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia, 0-0
Group H: Uruguay vs Spain, 1-0
Group G: New Zealand vs Belgium, 5-1
Group G: Egypt vs Iran, 1-1
Group L: Panama vs England, 2-0
Group L: Croatia vs Ghana, 2-1
Friday, 26 June
Group I: Senegal vs Iraq, 5-0
Group I: Norway vs France, 4-1
Group F: Tunisia vs Netherlands, 3-1
Group F: Japan vs Sweden, 1-1
Group D: Türkiye vs USA, 3-2
Group D: Paraguay vs Australia, 0-0
Thursday, 25 June
Group A: South Africa vs South Korea, 1-0
Group A: Mexico vs Czech Republic, 3-0
Group E: Curacao vs Ivory Coast, 2-0
Group E: Germany vs Ecuador, 2-1
Wednesday, 24 June
Group C: Brazil vs Scotland, 3-0
Group C: Morocco vs Haiti, 4-2
Group B: Qatar vs Bosnia-Herzegovnia, 3-1
Group B: Switzerland vs Canada, 2-1
Group L: Panama vs Croatia, 1-0
Group L: Colombia vs DR Congo, 1-0
Tuesday, 23 June
Group I: Norway vs Senegal, 3-2
Group J: Algeria vs Jordan, 2-1
Group K: Portugal vs Uzbekistan, 5-0
Group L: England vs Ghana, 0-0
Monday, 22 June
Group G: New Zealand vs Egypt, 1-3
Group J: Argentina vs Austria, 2-0
Group I: France vs Iraq, 3-0
Sunday, 21 June
Group E: Ecuador vs Curaçao, 0-0
Group F: Tunisia vs Japan, 0-4
Group G: Belgium vs Iran, 0-0
Group H: Spain vs Saudi Arabia, 4-0
Group H: Uruguay vs Cape Verde, 2-2
Saturday, 20 June
Group C: Brazil vs Haiti, 3-0
Group D: Turkey vs Paraguay, 0-1
Group E: Germany vs Ivory Coast, 2-1
Group F: Netherlands vs Sweden, 5-1
Friday, 19 June
Group A: Mexico vs South Korea, 1-0
Group C: Scotland vs Morocco, 0-1
Group D: USA vs Australia, 2-0
Thursday 18 June
Group L: Ghana vs Panama, 1-0
Group K: Uzbekistan vs Colombia, 1-3
Group A: Czech Republic vs South Africa, 1-1
Group B: Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina, 4-1
Group B: Canada vs Qatar, 6-0
Wednesday 17 June
Group K: Portugal vs DR Congo, 1-1
Group L: England vs Croatia, 4-2
Group J: Argentina vs Algeria, 3-0
Group J: Austria vs Jordan, 3-1
Tuesday 16 June
Group G: Iran vs New Zealand, 2-2
Group I: France vs Senegal, 3-1
Group I: Iraq vs Norway, 1-4
Monday, 15 June
Group E: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador, 1-0
Group F: Sweden vs Tunisia, 5-1
Sunday, 14 June
Group C: Haiti vs Scotland, 0-1
Group D: Australia vs Turkey, 2-0
Group E: Germany vs Curaçao, 7-1
Group F: Netherlands vs Japan, 2-2
Saturday, 13 June
Group D: USA vs Paraguay, 4-1
Group B: Qatar vs Switzerland, 1-1
Group C: Brazil vs Morocco, 1-1
Friday, 12 June
Group A: South Korea vs Czech Republic, 2-1
Group B: Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina, 1-1
Thursday, 11 June
Group A: Mexico vs South Africa, 2-0
Topics: Donald Trump, World Cup, Football, Sport
Daniel Murphy