Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy blasted critics of FIFA’s decision to overturn U.S. soccer star Folarin Balogun’s suspension, arguing that the outrage reflects growing concern over America’s emergence as a legitimate force in international soccer.
The controversy erupted after FIFA announced Sunday that it had rescinded the red card Balogun received during the United States’ Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The original red card carried an automatic one-game suspension, which would have forced Balogun to sit out the Americans’ Round of 16 showdown against Belgium.
After FIFA reversed the decision, reports surfaced alleging that President Donald Trump personally contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino to protest the red card. The development quickly ignited criticism from many sports fans, with some accusing FIFA of acting improperly and claiming Infantino had bowed to pressure from Trump.
Portnoy dismissed those allegations during Monday’s episode of Wake Up Barstool, instead arguing that the international reaction had more to do with fear of the United States becoming a serious soccer contender than with politics.
According to Portnoy, the backlash reached a level he rarely sees in sports.
“Having said that, once this thing became official, we have had — what is it — maybe 18 hours now of crying like I have never seen in my lifetime,” Portnoy said.
He compared the response to some of the biggest controversies in American sports, including the New England Patriots’ “Deflategate” scandal, but argued the reaction to FIFA’s ruling had become a worldwide phenomenon.
“Maybe when the Patriots were on their run and ‘Deflategate,’ and things like this, maybe Michigan… but this is on a global scale,” he said. “The crying, the Euro tears, the sheer whimpery of Europe regarding this decision—everything from Belgium is lawyering up, Belgium shouldn’t play, UEFA, ‘This is illegal. You can’t do this.’”
Portnoy rejected the idea that opposition to the ruling was primarily driven by opinions about Trump. Instead, he argued that the criticism stems from anxiety over what a stronger U.S. soccer program could mean for the rest of the world.
“And it all stems from one thing and one thing only,” Portnoy said. “People say, ‘Oh, you don’t like Trump,’ and this and that. No, no, no, no. They don’t like that we’re getting good at soccer, boys.”
He continued by claiming European nations are worried about the possibility of the United States becoming a dominant soccer power after historically paying less attention to the sport than many other countries.
“Europe is petrified because if we’re good at soccer, they got nothing,” Portnoy said.
He also argued that the United States has already demonstrated its ability to compete successfully in other sports, pointing to hockey before suggesting soccer could become the next arena where America rises to prominence.
“We’re bigger than they are, we’re badder than they are, we bail them out in every world war,” Portnoy said. “We are the United States. We’re the bully, we’re the tough guy, and this is the one sport we’ve never paid attention to.”
Portnoy concluded by arguing that if the United States eventually establishes itself as a dominant soccer nation, the current international criticism will be viewed as a reflection of growing concern over America’s place in the sport rather than simply the controversy surrounding FIFA’s decision.
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