World Cup 2026: President Donald Trump questions Harry Kane’s defensive role for England
United States President Donald Trump has joined criticism of England’s tactics in their World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina by questioning Harry Kane’s “defensive” role in the second half.
Manager Thomas Tuchel’s second-half substitutions were criticized by pundits and fans following the 2-1 defeat; Argentina scored two late goals in Sunday’s final against Spain (20:00 BST).
BBC Sport reported on Thursday how some key players were disappointed as England were instructed to finish the game by taking the lead through Anthony Gordon.
Tuchel returned to a back five, making a series of defensive substitutions in the closing stages as Lionel Messi inspired a dramatic comeback.
“You have a great player in England who I played golf with. That’s Harry. [Kane] who was amazing,” Trump said.
“I think they might have made a mistake by making him a defender. What do I know about football? They took the lead and took their best players and put them in defense.
“We’ve got to be a little aggressive, right? But no, I’m not going to call it that. What do I know about coaching? But it was a little bit unusual.”
When Tuchel was later brought up about Trump’s criticisms at a press conference, he quickly brushed them off.
Speaking during a reception at Trump Tower on Friday, the president also talked about the moment he asked FIFA to review the one-match suspension of US forward Folarin Balogun.
Balogun, 25, was set to miss his side’s last-16 tie with Belgium after receiving a red card for a foul on Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic in the previous round.
However, FIFA’s shocking decision to suspend the automatic single-match ban for 12 months sparked widespread criticism.
Trump said: “This was a tournament like no other. Full of fierce competition, unforgettable moments. Probably the most memorable was the moment they gave that gentleman… a red card?
“And I had to call Gianni [Infantino]. I said, ‘Gianni, I want to give some advice.’ Let the man get into the game!’ No, I didn’t say that. I said I wanted to file a complaint.
“I actually had no idea what was going to happen, but you know it’s much better this way because there’s no argument. [Belgium] We won the match and all the players of our team came on the field. If you think about it, you made another great decision, but you’ll never get credit for it.”
Trump also thanked FIFA president Infantino and called the World Cup, held in the United States, Mexico and Canada, “perhaps the most successful sporting event in world history.”
Infantino said the World Cup “exceeded expectations”.
“Mr. President, the American dream has come true. We have united the world in America,” he said.
“This is not only the greatest World Cup of all time, it is also the greatest human, social and cultural event that humanity has ever witnessed, and we are all a part of it, and for that, I thank you very much, Mr. President.”
