Gianni Infantino’s slimy relationship with Donald Trump finally stained Team USA and the World Cup

The furore and anger in the lead-up to this World Cup were justified.

From the outset, it was clear that this tournament was one big cash grab for Gianni Infantino.

The Swiss head honcho recognised that the World Cup, special as it is, is something fans will spend a small fortune on, even with the inflated prices for travel and tickets to experience the tournament.

Infantino and FIFA were banking on the footballing party beginning to crowd out the noise so people could start talking about the football.

Which is exactly what happened as we rejoiced in the uniqueness of fans partying together in cities they had never seen, small nations giving us shocks, and the stars showing up on the biggest stage.

More from Football News

All was going well until Donald Trump opened his big mouth.

Perhaps it’s fitting that the inescapable man Infantino had spent so long sucking up to, even going so far as to ridiculously present him with his own peace prize, has now plunged him into peril.

Inadvertently or advertently, Trump proudly declared to reporters in front of the world that he was the one responsible for making the call to Infantino, ensuring Folarin Balogun's red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina was overturned, making him available for the Belgium match.

UEFA and Europe were rightfully enraged, criticising the decision and quickly releasing a statement calling the U-turn "incomprehensible and unjustifiable". Prominent figures such as Jurgen Klopp voiced their displeasure, with the German saying, "It’s our sport and not theirs."

Appeals from other governing bodies soon came flooding in, as France appealed Michael Olise's card against Paraguay, while Belgium appealed the decision to overturn Balogun's red card.

The move has opened a can of worms because if a President can make one phone call to override the rules, where on earth does it stop?

In the midst of football's biggest spectacle, once again, Trump found a way, as he does, to make it about himself and create chaos before heading off to his next tornado, leaving everyone else to pick up the pieces.

The problem with dealing with a figure as turbulent as Trump is that no one is sure what he’s going to say or do next. Not his allies or his opponents.

Ironically, his boastfulness in announcing to the world that he and FIFA had committed open collusion may prove to be the controversy that is the tip of the iceberg for Infantino, which is exactly what he gets for cosying up to him in such a manner.

And after all that, what became of Balogun and Mauricio Pochettino's USA? Well, they were thumped 4-1 by a buoyed Belgium team largely cheered on by the world.

Pochettino and his side were making headway in attracting new fans, getting Americans into the sport like never before.

That's what a World Cup does: it attracts the attention of people who would normally not have a care in the world about the sport but get swept up in the fever of it all.

Now, sadly, the USA's humiliating exit will forever be attached to the shock decision to overturn Balogun's red card, souring the mood in the process.

We’ll never truly know what impact the decision had on the USA’s performance, but we do know that all the talk surrounding the tournament shifted away from what was happening on the pitch.

Justifiably, the decision to intervene has spectacularly backfired. This is one situation where Trump and Infantino cannot delusionally boast of it being a spectacular win.

But it does represent a crucial moment for football.

Through the shenanigans and circus, a nation that was well on its way to being besotted by World Cup fever, believing in a new coach who introduced them to an exciting brand of football, was dragged into a scandal it never wanted.

Politics directly interfered with football at a crucial stage of the tournament.

The ramifications of this astounding saga are likely not over, with widespread calls for Infantino to resign.

In FIFA’s statement, it barely addressed or provided a reason for why Balogun’s red card was overturned.

But you get the feeling that, on this occasion, they cannot be so blasé and tell everyone to "chill and relax", which is what Infantino told reporters to do when questioned about the immigration issues the tournament faced.

This is an important moment, and it should be seized by ousting the man who has presided over one controversy too many while handling the game’s most important tournament.