WASHINGTON — The United States famously is less passionate about soccer than most countries, but with President Donald Trump in charge, the world’s game has turned into another diplomatic battleground.

Trump, who has relished the US role as co-host of the World Cup, acknowledged he reached out to Fifa which rescinded a red card handed to US star Folarin Balogun.

Trump also cast aspersions on the reputation of the Brazilian referee who issued the red card, even while insisting that “I don’t like to create controversy.”

Much like when Trump imposed trade tariffs, belittled leaders or questioned Nato, his intervention on the red card caused Europeans to close ranks.

The foreign minister of Belgium, which now faces a full US squad in their knockout match yesterday, called the Fifa U-turn “incomprehensible.” Fifa promptly rejected Belgium’s appeal.

EU sports chief Glenn Micallef said such decisions “belong to sporting bodies, not politicians.”

Balogun was handed the red card during a US victory against Bosnia, a staunchly pro-American country, where an X account backing the players described Fifa and the United States as a “mafia.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said that the United States got “screwed” by the red card, joked that the episode may come up at a Nato summit this week.

“Maybe they’re trying to get an international incident,” Rubio said.

Rubio, a sports lover more known for commentary on American football, said Belgium should be happy to play against a full US squad rather than have a tarnished match.

“I just hope that the match will go on, everyone will be at full strength and the winner will be the winner,” Rubio said.