Megan Rapinoe attacks Trump and blames him for the US men's team's defeat in the World Cup

Megan Rapinoe on Tuesday blamed President Donald Trump for the U.S. men's soccer team's loss at the World Cup, saying the president's participation ended the team's underdog feeling in the tournament.

“The Daily Show” host Desi Lydic asked Rapinoe about the red card given to American player Folarin Balogun in their round of 32 match, which was ultimately suspended. Trump admitted to calling FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask for a review of the red card.

“How do you think that affected the men's team?” Lydic asked Rapinoe.

“Certainly not well, maybe it didn't give them the boost that they thought or that Trump hoped it would,” he responded. “I don't know. It seemed like it threw them off their game.”

FOLARIN BALOGUN ADMITS THAT THE RED CARD REVERSAL AFFECTED HIS WORLD CUP TEAMMATES IN THE USA: 'A LOT OF EXTERIOR NOISE'

“But it didn't go well. They had a very good vibe,” he added. “I feel like they had a kind of underdog feeling. And then you know who got involved, and everyone said, no. No. We don't like it. And then, obviously, Belgium said, 'No, we can't lose to this team now.'”

Rapinoe, who won two World Cup titles with the women's national soccer team, said she did not know the rules and was not a referee.

“No other president in history could have accomplished the historic feat that President Trump accomplished for the American people and the world. Thanks to his bold vision and decisive leadership, the 2026 FIFA World Cup generated billions of dollars in revenue, created a massive economic boost in host cities, and provided a safe and seamless experience for millions of fans and athletes around the world. It will undoubtedly go down as one of the largest and most successful sporting events in history,” the House spokesman said. Blanca, Davis Ingle, to Fox News Digital in a statement.

Rapinoe said during her podcast, “A Touch More: The Beautiful Game,” that Trump's involvement was a distraction.

GALAXY COACH GREG VANNEY SAYS TEAM USA WAS 'TOO NAIVE', EXPLAINS CHRISTIAN PULISIC'S STRUGGLES

President Donald Trump and FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) President Gianni Infantino talk in the Oval Office of the White House after signing an executive order for a working group related to the FIFA World Cup, in Washington, DC, on March 7, 2025. (Jim Watson/AFP)

“I think the distraction got to the team in some way. Whether it's, you know, this red card situation, whether it's being in a public speech with this president, all the, you know, shenanigans and chaos that come with the feelings on both sides of that. Whether you agree or not, it's like there's a lot to deal with,” Rapinoe said.

“So not only does this team not have a core of older players who are used to that, but none of these players talk about anything, like for the most part,” he continued.

“I think in men's football, like in general, there aren't many players who choose to use their platform or, you know, expand their scope of pressure and responsibility,” he said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE MEDIA AND CULTURE COVERAGE

Former US women's national team player Megan Rapinoe gave her opinion on the US men's team's World Cup loss to Belgium. (Soobum Im/USSF/Getty Images)

The United States men's team lost to Belgium in the round of 16 match after the red card controversy.

Balogun told CBS after the loss that there was a lot of outside noise leading up to the loss.

“My initial reaction was that I was happy to be back on the team, but when I started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy, and I could almost see my teammates a little nervous, because it's something unique,” Balogun told CBS in mid-July.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“The closer we got to the game, I tried to concentrate as best I could, but it was difficult. There was a lot of outside noise and that's hard to avoid,” he added.