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Megan Rapinoe put blasted connected President Donald Trump for nan U.S. mens shot team's World Cup nonaccomplishment connected Tuesday, saying nan president's engagement killed nan team's underdog vibe successful nan tournament.
"The Daily Show" big Desi Lydic asked Rapinoe astir nan red paper given to U.S. subordinate Folarin Balogun successful their Round of 32 match, which was yet suspended. Trump admitted to calling FIFA President Gianni Infantino to inquire for a reappraisal of nan reddish card.
"How do you deliberation that affected nan men's team?" Lydic asked Rapinoe.
"Certainly not well, it didn't springiness them nan boost, maybe, that they were reasoning it would aliases that Trump was hoping that it would," she responded. "I don't know. It seemed for illustration it benignant of like, threw them disconnected their game."
FOLARIN BALOGUN ADMITS THAT RED-CARD REVERSAL AFFECTED USA WORLD CUP TEAMMATES: 'A LOT OF OUTSIDE NOISE'
Former master shot player, Megan Rapinoe, attends nan crippled betwixt nan Seattle Storm and nan Indiana Fever astatine Climate Pledge Arena connected June 24, 2025, successful Seattle, Washington. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images; Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images)
"But it didn't spell well. They had, like, specified a bully vibe," she added. "I consciousness for illustration they had, like, nan underdog benignant of vibe going. And past you-know-who sewage involved, and everyone was like, nope. No. We don't for illustration it. And then, obviously, Belgium was like, 'No, we perfectly can't suffer to this squad now.'"
Rapinoe, who won 2 World Cup titles pinch nan women's nationalist shot team, said she didn't cognize nan rules and wasn't a referee.
"No different president successful history could person pulled disconnected nan historical feat that President Trump delivered for nan American group and nan world. Thanks to his bold imagination and decisive leadership, nan 2026 FIFA World Cup generated billions of dollars successful revenue, created a monolithic economical boost crossed big cities, and delivered a safe, secure, and seamless acquisition for millions of fans and athletes from astir nan globe. It will undoubtedly spell down arsenic 1 of nan top and astir successful sporting events successful history," White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital successful a statement.
Rapinoe said during her podcast "A Touch More: The Beautiful Game," that Trump's engagement was a distraction.
LA GALAXY COACH GREG VANNEY SAYS TEAM USA WAS 'TOO NAIVE,' EXPLAINS CHRISTIAN PULISIC'S STRUGGLES
President Donald Trump and FIFA president (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) Gianni Infantino talk successful nan Oval Office of nan White House aft signing an executive bid for a task unit related to nan FIFA World Cup, successful Washington, D.C., connected March 7, 2025. (Jim Watson/AFP)
"I deliberation nan distraction sewage to nan squad for judge successful immoderate type of way. Whether it was, you know, this reddish paper situation, whether it was being successful a nationalist sermon pinch this president, each of the, you know, shenanigans and chaos that comes pinch nan feelings connected some sides of that. Whether you work together pinch it aliases not it's — it's conscionable for illustration it's a batch to contend with," Rapinoe said.
"So, not only does this squad not person for illustration a halfway of older players who are utilized to that, but nary of these players talk astir thing ever, for illustration for nan astir part," she continued.
"I deliberation successful men's football, conscionable for illustration successful general, there's not a batch of players who are choosing to usage their level aliases to, you know, broaden their scope of unit and responsibility," she said.
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Former U.S. women's nationalist squad subordinate Megan Rapinoe gave her return connected nan U.S. men's team's World Cup nonaccomplishment to Belgium. (Soobum Im/USSF/Getty Images)
The U.S. men's nationalist squad mislaid to Belgium successful nan Round of 16 lucifer pursuing nan red paper controversy.
Balogun told CBS after nan nonaccomplishment that location was a batch of extracurricular sound starring up to it.
"My first guidance was I was happy to beryllium backmost successful nan team, but erstwhile I benignant of started to reflect, I knew it was going to origin a batch of controversy, and I could almost spot wrong my teammates a spot of nerves, because it is thing that is truthful unique," Balogun told CBS successful mid-July.
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"The person we sewage to nan game, I tried to conscionable attraction arsenic champion arsenic I could, but it was difficult. A batch of extracurricular sound and that’s difficult to avoid," he added.
Hanna Panreck is an subordinate editor astatine Fox News.
