The phone call made by US President Donald Trump to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, requesting a review of the red card given to Folarin Balogun, was not the first instance of political interference recorded in World Cup history.

In 1934, fascist Italy hosted the second edition of the World Cup, and Il Duce, who unlike his people was not a football fan, saw the event as a perfect opportunity to glorify his political regime.

Mussolini attended every match and went to the dressing rooms, while the refereeing appeared clearly biased in favor of the host nation, which ultimately won the title, to the extent that FIFA later banned two referees for life.

In 1938, a year before the outbreak of World War II, Austria, recently annexed by Nazi Germany, withdrew, and several of its players were forced to play for the German national team, compelled to perform the Nazi salute at the Parc des Princes stadium. Despite this, Germany did not advance beyond the round of 16.

Italy retained its title in a tournament where its players wore black shirts reminiscent of Italian militia uniforms. Before the final against Hungary (4-2), Mussolini sent them a short but terrifying message: 'Win or die.'

Hungarian goalkeeper Antal Szabó commented on Mussolini's controversial telegram, saying: 'It's true I conceded four goals, but at least I saved the lives of 11 men.'

In 1978, the tournament was organized under the dictatorship of General Jorge Rafael Videla, with the aim of polishing the regime's image, and it saw Argentina crowned with its first title amid strong suspicions of corruption.

To reach the final, Argentina needed to beat Peru by at least four goals to surpass Brazil. But the Peruvian team, which had appeared defensively strong at the start of the tournament, collapsed and lost 6-0.

Over the years, without conclusive proof, several testimonies have suggested a suspected collusion between the two regimes.

In 2026, Donald Trump was unhappy with the red card received by Folarin Balogun during the United States' victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, which meant an automatic suspension for the next match against Belgium, and he called FIFA President Gianni Infantino demanding a review of the decision.

Four days later, FIFA announced that the disciplinary committee had modified the punishment, converting the one-match ban into a 'suspended one-match ban with a probation period of one year.'

As a result, the US team's top scorer in this tournament will be able to play in the Seattle match on Monday against the 'Red Devils.'