Trump's Reverse Midas Touch Even Got the World Cup
The article, published by The Nation, analyzes how the 2026 FIFA World Cup was tainted by the Trump administration's actions. It reports that President Trump was loudly booed by fans when he presented the trophy after Spain's 1-0 victory over Argentina. The piece details multiple controversies: the Trump administration banned a Somali referee after interrogation, forced the Iranian team to commute from Tijuana, denied visas to fans from Iran and several African nations, and used Nazi-like slogans in DHS posts. Most notably, Trump personally called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to pressure the reversal of a red card against US forward Folarin Balogun, undermining the sport's integrity. The authors argue that Trump's 'reverse Midas touch' corrupted the tournament, turning the US team into villains and damaging the concept of fairness in football.
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