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Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House's World Cup Task Force, asserted that U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was guilty of "far more egregious" interference during this summer's tournament compared to U.S. President Donald Trump.
While Trump has openly boasted about his role in pressuring FIFA to reconsider Folarin Balogun's suspension ahead of the U.S.'s round of 16 match against Belgium, Giuliani has accused Starmer of putting fans' safety at risk by pushing to keep England's kickoff against Mexico at the originally scheduled time.
Less than two days before the knockout match at the Estadio Azteca, reports emerged that FIFA was considering moving the Mexico vs. England fixture six hours earlier. The threat of electrical storms was cited as one reason, along with efforts to reduce the risk of post-match violence.
Several casualties were reported following Mexico's round of 32 win over Ecuador — a match also disrupted by thunderstorms — and FIFA was reportedly considering shifting the game from 7 p.m. local time to 1 p.m. to limit the amount of time fans would have to drink alcohol.
Officials from both the Mexican and English national teams openly and privately objected to the last-minute scheduling change. It has been widely reported that Starmer backed England's push to keep the original time, allowing the squad maximum time to acclimatize to Mexico City's high altitude. Giuliani took issue with this intervention.
Drawing a comparison between the actions of the U.S. and U.K. leaders, Giuliani told Times Radio: "I would view [Starmer's involvement] as a far more egregious situation when you consider that the reason for potentially moving the game earlier was because three Mexicans lost their lives after the round-of-32 [win vs. Ecuador] due to how late it was, with over a million Mexicans flooding into [the city centre].
"The reason those discussions were happening was for life and safety. I think that's where the focus should be — less on what happens on the field.
"One [intervention] is about life and safety, the other is about play on the pitch. I think the difference there is pretty clear."
Starmer Responds to Interference Allegations
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A spokesperson for Starmer moved to dampen speculation surrounding his involvement: "The Prime Minister was clear that he was supportive of representations made by the Football Association regarding the practical implications of a proposed scheduling change for the team's preparations.
"The final decision on fixture timings remained a matter for FIFA.
"But as we've consistently said, decisions on disciplinary matters and the application of rules of the game are for FIFA and for the relevant football authorities."
Giuliani Stands Firm on Trump's Balogun Intervention
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In what may hopefully be the last word on the Balogun controversy, Giuliani stood firm. "Here's the truth about President Trump," he said. "President Trump wants fair play. Fair play at the ballot box, fair play on the field. I think they ultimately got the call right [in overturning Balogun's ban].
"Credit to Belgium. What the President said was, 'If Belgium win and they're the better side, then you tip your hat.' We had our best players available, they had their best players available, and they were simply the better team on Monday — it wasn't even close."