Blain’s Morning Porridge July 7^th, 2026: Overturn this.

“Some people believe Football is a matter of life and death. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”

What Football fans would not want Donald Trump supporting their team? Who would say no to Trump’s superpower to reverse any referee decision? His intervention into the World Cup leaves the rest of the world shaking its collective head in disbelief. Another reason to laugh at America. These things have consequences. When is America going to wake up?

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“Overturn this…”

The Belgian Football Association comment on beating the USA last night said it all. Overturn this.

Donald Trump has an unsurpassed ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The World Cup was on course to be a massive Soft Power win for America. Fans may have been fleeced by FIFA, the official ticket tout, but generally they’ve loved it. Some of the games have been fantastic.

The World Cup was set to be an easy win for America and Trump. It’s showcased how wonderful, friendly and welcoming real Americans can be. These things matter. America’s cultural Soft Power is unsurpassed: Westerns, Coca Cola, Mickey Dees, Moon Landings, Starsky and Hutch, Space Shuttles, Friends, Hollywood, Dollywood, iPhones, and a thousand other cultural trinkets are among the reasons the USA is such a successful nation. Squander that power, and it has commercial consequences.

Finally, the US appeared to be embracing the World, getting their arms around Football – the World’s premier team sport. It is not called Soccer. It is Football… The USA played well. They impressed. They were a decent side. And like all teams their players made mistakes and get over-enthusiastic. This morning the social media is full of hilarious memes about America’s president cheating to win at any cost. That’s not a good look.

Folarin Balogun is one of America’s best players. The 25-year-old was born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents who moved back to England when he was a few weeks old. After playing for Arsenal, he’s now the leading player for Monaco in France. The North London boy had the option to play for Nigeria, England or the USA (he played for both USA and England under-18 sides). And, like nearly every other world class player in history he made a tackle which, rightly or wrongly, got him sent off and an automatic suspension from the next game. International players know that’s what happens and the rule is there to restrain them from making dangerous tackles in the competition.

Whether it was a foul or not doesn’t really matter. Argentina went on to win a World Cup after the Ref missed the Hand of God, but most people accept rules are rules and calls are calls. Sometimes calls go your way. Often, they don’t.

Donald Trump decided he knew better than the ref. He called his great chum FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, called it a “horrible call” and asked for an investigation. The automatic suspension was reversed by a FIFA team of lawyers. Trump later told TV audiences he could see it wasn’t a foul, and he knows these things. He suggested the ref was crooked, calling him “very suspect”. He may or may not have mentioned to Infantino that Howard Lutnick had offered the US team the full legal might of the White House to reverse the ban, or how hedge funder Scot Goodwin was investigating (i.e. digging dirt) to uncover any kompromat on the Ref.

The fact the President of the Host Nation called the organisers of the competition to ask for special treatment is unacceptable. Everyone knows that… Except, apparently, Trump and his minions. And that should be a matter of concern for global investors.

Who cares what was said… it was the fact anything was said at all is what matters. Trump’s very public condemnation of a ref’s decision, and the subsequent overturning of the ban (which has only happened once before in World Cup history when the Brazilians pushed the political pressure button in the 1950s), smacks of bad governance, and is clearly unfair to the 11 other players who got a red-card match ban.

European nations are likely to demand Infantino is sacked for the incident and will also cite the FIFA Peace Prize – the bauble given to Trump when the Nobel Committee saw through him.

Sure, we are never disappointed by Trump’s ability to disappoint. Everyone except Trump supporters who told me yesterday it’s not an issue, its ok and cite “whataboutism” to justify it. When I disagreed, I was accused of irrational hatred of Trump and declared a sufferer of TDS – Trump Derangement Syndrome. Whatever.

Sport is war with a smile.

Soft Power matters.

If you compromise and undermine a nation’s Soft Power, it has consequences.

The behaviours we are seeing out the White House confirm a very different America. The World has noticed and is watching.

As Liverpool manager Bill Shankly famously said… football is more important than life or death.

Trump’s successful effort to over-turn the ban backfired. The Belgians were furious – and it triggered them. The slaughtered the USA 4-1. A few days ago, everyone would be praising the USA team as plucky losers and congratulated them for getting to the round of 16. Instead, today all that anyone is talking about is how Trump misjudged and made America look bad again.

Shame.

Out of time and back to the day job after the train to Londres!

Bill Blain

Author of the Morning Porridge
CEO Windshift Capital
Advisor – Spitfire Strategic Capital

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