From football to foreign policy: Trump's five self-goals | Gravitas

From football to foreign policy: Trump's five self-goals | Gravitas links high-profile moments at the 2026 World Cup with broader policy reversals attributed to U.S. President Donald Trump. During Spain’s historic FIFA World Cup celebration over Argentina, Trump presented the trophy and lingered on the winners’ podium as players celebrated, prompting criticism that it turned the moment into a photo opportunity. FIFA President Gianni Infantino eventually guided Trump away, and the scene drew boos from 80,000-plus spectators. The article then points to Trump’s alleged intervention after the U.S. striker Folarin Balogun received a red card, when FIFA suspended the one-game ban via Article 27 on a one-year probationary period following Trump’s request. It further cites mounting costs in renewed Iran tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, alongside claimed reversals, including scrapping a proposed 20% reimbursement fee for safe passage and demanding NATO allies raise defense spending to 5% of GDP.