The Great American State Fair may no longer be the biggest flop of the summer.
The U.S. men’s national team ended the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a nightmarish performance, losing 4-1 to Belgium.
The match followed the intervention of President Donald Trump, who called on FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the controversial red card issued to Folarin Balogun during the United States’ Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
FIFA handed Balogun a one-match suspension and allowed the star striker to play in the match that finally ended the co-hosts’ losing streak.
The Belgian Football Association mocked the decision on social media after the resounding victory, posting an image of Romal Lukaku’s celebration after the fourth goal and saying: “We will reverse this.”
Trump’s intervention and subsequent error-plagued, lackluster, lackluster performance by the USMNT has reignited questions about whether Trump’s presence is cursed by the team.
Trump has regularly attended sporting events during his time in office, surrounded by sports stars, and recently attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals, where the New York Knicks suffered their only loss of the series.
Now let’s take a look at Trump’s possible sports curse.
The New York Knicks’ only loss in the NBA Finals came in a game in which Trump played.
As mentioned above, the Knicks’ only loss in the 2026 NBA Finals was Game 3, the only game in which the New York City native appeared.
Knicks fans accused President Trump of placing a “curse” on the team after a 111-115 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, ending their winning streak at 13.
This caused some fans to “purify” Madison Square Garden. Kazeem Famuideh, the Emmy-winning host of the Knicks’ podcast “Big Apple Buckets,” posted a video of himself and friends holding sage outside MSG.
The Knicks won the series in five games.
Coaches lose game of watching Trump
In November 2025, Trump attended a Washington Commanders game where the Detroit Lions defeated them 44-22.
He received mixed reactions at FedEx Field.
During the win, Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown celebrated his touchdown with a “tramp dance” and apologized. The Lions collapsed after the win against the Commanders, losing five of their last eight games and missing out on the playoffs. Former NFL wide receiver Kenny Stills responded to a social media post about the Lions’ record after the game against the Commanders, calling it “Trump’s curse.”
Trump plays in Ryder Cup, US loses
President Trump attended the first day of competition at the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage’s Black Course on Long Island, New York.
After the morning round, the United States was losing 3-1 to Europe, but President Trump told reporters: “We’re going to get it done. Either way, we’re going to get it done.” The US ended the day down 5 1/2 to 2 1/2 by the end of the day.
Europe won the tournament 15-13, and the president of the PGA of America apologized, saying the chants against the European team were “disrespectful.”
Contributors: Joey Garrison, Fernando Cervantes, Kinsey Crowley
