Tensions between the United States and Europe took a new turn on Monday as Belgian officials and European soccer figures expressed outrage over the reinstatement of a banned American player before an evening World Cup game against Belgium.

周一，美国与欧洲之间的紧张局势出现了一个新的转折，由于一名被禁赛的美国球员在对阵比利时队的世界杯比赛前得以恢复参赛资格，比利时官员和欧洲足坛人物表达了极大的不满。

The trans-Atlantic relationship had already been under strain for much of the past year and a half, and is poised to face another test just this week as leaders head to Turkey for a closely watched NATO summit. Now many in Europe are also outraged over what they see as the American president’s meddling in soccer.

过去一年半的大部分时间里，跨大西洋关系已经承受着压力，本周各国领导人将前往土耳其参加备受瞩目的北约峰会，这将再次考验双方关系。现在，许多欧洲人还对他们所认为的美国总统对足球事务的干预感到愤怒。

President Trump started 2026 with threats to take over Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, a NATO member, a move that rattled the foundations of the alliance. He has also assailed European leaders over the war in Iran, saying they have not supported the United States in that conflict.

特朗普总统在2026年伊始便威胁要接管北约成员国丹麦的自治领地格陵兰，这一举动动摇了北约的根基。他还因伊朗战争谴责欧洲领导人，声称他们在这场冲突中没有给美国提供支持。

His administration has threatened to draw down troops stationed in Europe, which are seen as a critical deterrent to Russia, and he has lashed out at countries he says aren’t spending enough on their militaries.

他的政府还威胁要削减驻扎在欧洲的军队（这些军队被视为对俄罗斯的重要威慑力量），并且他向那些在他看来国防开支不足的国家发泄了不满。

European leaders have been hoping to use the NATO summit, which begins on Tuesday, to demonstrate how much more they are spending on their militaries, with a goal of keeping Mr. Trump and the United States engaged in the military alliance. The stakes are high as Russia increases its attacks on Ukraine, with a strike last week leading to the death of 31, and one on Monday morning that killed at least 12 people.

欧洲领导人一直希望利用定于周二开始的北约峰会展示他们的军事投入有了多大幅度的增长，其目标是让特朗普和美国继续留在该军事联盟中。此事关乎重大，因为俄罗斯加大了对乌克兰的袭击力度（上周的一次袭击导致31人死亡，而周一早上的一场袭击又夺走了至少12人的生命）。

Last week, Mr. Trump called the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, and asked the association to review the suspension of the top goal scorer in the World Cup for the American team, Folarin Balogun, after he was given a red card banning him from a game, according to people familiar with the conversation.

据知情人士透露，上周，特朗普致电国际足联主席詹尼·因凡蒂诺，要求该协会复核对美国队在世界杯的头号射手福拉林·巴洛贡的停赛处罚。巴洛贡此前因吃到红牌而被禁赛一场。

Belgian officials expressed dismay after FIFA, the world soccer governing body, announced on Sunday that it was lifting the one-game suspension against Mr. Balogun. Maxime Prévot, Belgium’s foreign minister and a former soccer referee, said in statement on Monday that the decision might undermine FIFA’s expressed commitment to fair play.

世界足球主管机构国际足联周日宣布暂缓对巴洛贡的停赛处罚，比利时官员表达了失望之情。比利时外交部长、曾担任过足球裁判的马克西姆·普雷沃在周一的一份声明中表示，这一决定可能会削弱国际足联口头承诺的公平竞赛原则。

“This decision clearly raises many questions,” Mr. Prévot said. “If a phone call really is what explains this incomprehensible decision, it would amount to undermining the most basic rules of soccer and sports.”

“这一决定显然引发了许多疑问，”普雷沃说。“如果一通电话真的就能解释这个令人费解的决定，那无异于破坏了足球和体育运动最基本的规则。”

The Royal Belgian Football Association said in a statement that it “has no alternative but to challenge the player’s eligibility for the upcoming match,” adding that it was “deeply concerned” by the process.

比利时皇家足球协会在声明中表示，“别无选择，只能对该球员在即将到来的比赛中的出场资格提出质疑”，并对这一处理过程“深表关切”。

But Belgium’s appeal of the red card reversal was denied. “The request was rendered inadmissible on the grounds that the RBFA is not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision,” according to a statement by the FIFA Appeal Committee on Monday.

但比利时针对处罚反转的上诉被驳回。国际足联上诉委员会在周一的一份声明中表示：“该请求被裁定为不予受理，比利时足协并非仲裁当事方，因此无权对该决定提起上诉。”

In the end it made no difference. Belgium crushed the United States 4-1, in a game the Americans never really contested, to advance to the quarterfinals against Spain.

最终结果并无不同。比利时队4比1大胜美国队，后者在这场比赛中几乎没有还手之力。比利时晋级四分之一决赛，将与西班牙队交手。

UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, said in a statement that FIFA’s reversal had “crossed a red line,” calling it “an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision.”

欧洲足球主管机构欧足联在一份声明中表示，国际足联的反转行为已经“越过了红线”，并称这是一个“史无前例、不可理喻且毫无道理的决定”。

While the Belgian team has been granted the right to appeal FIFA’s decision, there was no guarantee that a ruling would be possible before kickoff on Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

尽管比利时队有权对国际足联的决定提起上诉，但无法保证在美东时间周一晚8点比赛开球前能够得到裁决结果。

The decision by FIFA was highly unusual and a boost to the American team. Mr. Infantino has courted Mr. Trump, and last year awarded him the first FIFA Peace Prize as the president campaigned, but failed, to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

国际足联的这一极其罕见的决定对美国队来说是重大利好。因凡蒂诺一直在讨好特朗普，并在去年向这位正竭力争取（但最终未能获得）诺贝尔和平奖的总统颁发了首届国际足联和平奖。

Speaking at the White House on Monday, Mr. Trump confirmed that he had called Mr. Infantino to protest the red card and ask for “a review.” He said he had watched the game and determined, as a sports lover, “that wasn’t a foul, that wasn’t even an infraction.”

周一在白宫发表讲话时，特朗普证实了他曾致电因凡蒂诺，就红牌表达了抗议，并要求进行“复核”。他表示，自己观看了比赛，并作为一名体育爱好者断定，“那不是犯规，连轻微违规都算不上”。

The president attempted to downplay his intervention, saying that during his conversation with Mr. Infantino he “didn’t tell him what to do.”

总统试图淡化自己的干预行为，称在与因凡蒂诺的交谈中，他“并没有告诉他该怎么做”。

“I can’t tell him what to do, and I don’t believe he made the decision,” Mr. Trump said. “I think it was a committee that made the decision, and they made the right decision, because number one, it wasn’t a foul, and you want to see a game with your best players.”

“我不能告诉他该怎么做，而且我也不相信是他做出的决定，”特朗普说。“我认为是一个委员会做出的决定，他们做出了正确的决定，因为首先，那不是犯规，而且你想看一场拥有最顶尖球员的比赛。”

On Monday, Mr. Infantino said in a statement that he has regularly discussed matters related to the World Cup with Mr. Trump.

周一，因凡蒂诺在一份声明中表示，他定期与特朗普讨论世界杯相关事宜。

“During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies,” Mr. Infantino said. “That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold.”

“在交谈中，我解释说，国际足联的独立司法机构正在处理相关法律程序，这个案子将在适当时候由主管机构做出裁决，”因凡蒂诺说。“这就是国际足联体系的运作方式，也是我将始终恪守的原则。”

The U.S. ambassador to Belgium, Bill White, defended FIFA’s decision in a post on X on Monday and said, “President Trump would never interfere with the inner workings of FIFA.”

美国驻比利时大使比尔·怀特周一在X平台上发帖为国际足联的决定辩护，并表示：“特朗普总统绝不会干涉国际足联的内部运作。”

A key question is whether the drama will heighten diplomatic tensions, and worsen an already challenged relationship between Europe and the United States, heading into a pivotal week.

一个关键问题在于，在进入关键一周之际，这场风波是否会加剧外交紧张局势，让本就面临挑战的欧美关系进一步恶化。

Mujtaba Rahman, managing director for Europe at the Eurasia Group, said that he didn’t think the soccer controversy would be enough to further destabilize the trans-Atlantic relationship.

欧亚集团欧洲区董事总经理穆吉塔巴·拉赫曼表示，他不认为这场足球争议足以进一步动摇跨大西洋关系。

“But it does serve as a timely reminder to European governments about how Trump operates,” he said in a written response to questions. “Unconstrained by rules or norms, and the ruthless pursuit of an America first policy in everything he does.”

“但这确实及时地提醒了欧洲各国政府，特朗普是如何行事的，”他在针对提问的书面回复中说。“他不受规则或规范的约束，并且在所做的每一件事中都彻底奉行‘美国优先’政策。”

Still, European officials who have bitten their tongues throughout situations that they have seen as unacceptable — threats to a sovereign territory, a damaging trade war — may struggle to do so with when it comes to the game.

尽管如此，对于那些在面对主权领土受威胁、破坏性的贸易战等他们认为不可接受的情况时也一直忍气吞声的欧洲官员来说，在面对足球比赛时可能很难再保持克制。

When asked for a comment on FIFA’s decision, a spokeswoman for Belgium’s prime minister, Bart De Wever, referred questions to an Instagram post attributed to the prime minister’s cat.

当被要求对国际足联的决定发表评论时，比利时首相巴尔特·德·韦弗的发言人让记者去看一篇据称是首相养的猫发布的 Instagram贴文。

“Red card?” the post says, in Dutch. “I’m going to play anyway!”

该贴文用荷兰语写道：“红牌？反正我照样要上场！”

Political leaders across Europe are likely to see the soccer situation as another example of “how the U.S. is a lawless, unconstrained place under Donald Trump,” said Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, an analyst at the Belgian think tank Bruegel.

比利时智库布鲁盖尔的分析师雅各布·芬克·基尔克加德表示，欧洲各地的政治领导人很可能会将这场足球风波视为另一个例子，证明“在唐纳德·特朗普的领导下，美国是一个多么目无法纪、毫无约束的地方”。

He said that in the longer term, it’s likely to make it even harder for leaders on the European right, who had already been distancing themselves from Mr. Trump, to align with the American leader.

他表示，从长远来看，这可能会让那些本就在与特朗普保持距离的欧洲右翼领导人更加难以同这位美国领导人结盟。

But in the near term, European leaders “urgently need” Mr. Trump’s support at the summit in Ankara, because Ukraine needs American-made Patriot air defense systems as it fights against Russia.

但在短期内，欧洲领导人在安卡拉峰会上“迫切需要”特朗普的支持，因为乌克兰在对抗俄罗斯的战斗中需要美国制造的爱国者防空导弹系统。

“So they will not be picking a fight,” he added.

“因此，他们不会去挑起争端，”他补充说。