Megan Rapinoe recently voiced her opinion on the U.S. men’s national soccer team’s loss at the World Cup, attributing some blame to former President Donald Trump’s involvement. Rapinoe discussed the situation on “The Daily Show” with Desi Lydic after an incident involving U.S. player Folarin Balogun, who received a red card during a match against Belgium, which was later suspended. Trump reportedly contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review of the card.

“How do you think that affected the men’s team?” Lydic asked Rapinoe. She responded, “Certainly not well, it didn’t give them the boost, that they were thinking it would or that Trump was hoping that it would. I don’t know. It seemed like it kind of like, threw them off their game.”

FOLARIN BALOGUN ADMITS THAT RED-CARD REVERSAL AFFECTED USA WORLD CUP TEAMMATES: ‘A LOT OF OUTSIDE NOISE’

Rapinoe critiqued the timing of Trump’s involvement. “They had, like, such a good vibe,” she said. “I feel like they had, like, the underdog kind of vibe going. And then you-know-who got involved, and everyone was like, nope. No. We don’t like it.”

In contrast, a White House spokesman praised Trump’s efforts in organizing the 2026 FIFA World Cup, claiming it generated significant economic benefits and a seamless experience for many.

Rapinoe, during her podcast “A Touch More: The Beautiful Game,” described Trump’s involvement as a distraction. “I think the distraction got to the team for sure in some type of way. Whether it was, you know, this red card situation, whether it was being in a public discourse with this president, all of the, you know, shenanigans and chaos that comes with the feelings on both sides of that. Whether you agree with it or not it’s a lot to contend with,” Rapinoe stated.

LA Galaxy coach Greg Vanney also commented on the U.S. team’s performance, noting their inexperience in handling such pressures. Rapinoe noted the lack of vocal players in men’s football, saying, “I think in men’s football, just like in general, there’s not a lot of players who are choosing to use their platform or to, you know, broaden their scope of pressure and responsibility.”

The U.S. men’s team ultimately lost to Belgium in the Round of 16. Balogun, who spoke to CBS, mentioned the “outside noise” that surrounded the team, contributing to their performance.