By: Fränzi Meyer | July 20, 2026 | ZDFheute Link
For political scientist Michael Hanmer, who researches the relationship between sport and politics at the University of Maryland, [Trump's intervention in the Balogun red-card case] was Trump's most visible intervention during the tournament. The differing reactions from the football world showed how controversially his approach was received... "Overall, that didn't happen," says Hanmer, referring to expectations that Trump might claim the tournament for himself... [Hanmer] also highlighted the cooperation between the USA, Canada, and Mexico as notable — despite the strained political relations between the three neighboring countries... "The biggest surprise for me is how enthusiastically international fans and players experienced the USA," [Hanmer said].
Note: This text has been translated from its original German.
