Trump admits he asked Infantino to review Balogun red card

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Donald Trump confirmed that he asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review Folarin Balogun's red card, after the American was sent off during the USMNT's fixture against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The one-game ban imposed by the contentious decision was soon suspended for a year, leaving Balogun able to play in the U.S.'s World Cup round of 16 fixture against Belgium.

Trump Infantino

'That wasn't a foul'

Trump confirmed what multiple outlets had been reporting Monday morning: that his influence nudged FIFA towards looking into Balogun's red card suspension. The President, who has a close relationship with Infantino, spoke extensively on the decision during an event at the White House.

"That wasn’t a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction. That was two guys running full speed who happened to crash into each other. You can’t properly place your foot on somebody else’s foot when you’re going full speed. No, these were two great athletes who got tangled up. And this referee, who is a little bit suspect - if you check his past. I don’t want to say that because I don’t like to create controversy, but very suspect. If you’d like, I’ll provide you with his past."

Trump then shifted from the contact itself to the consequence of the decision, arguing that Balogun’s absence would have unfairly damaged the USMNT’s chances.

"[Balogun] didn’t do anything wrong, and he’s our best player, or one of our best players - a very vital player - and they gave him a red card. I didn’t know what that meant. I didn’t think it meant much. Then I started hearing that it means you can’t play in the next game, at least in the next game. I said, 'Boy, that’s a big.' If it happened to another player, it would have been unfair, but when they take your best player - or just about; they have some great players - and say you can’t play, that’s very unfair... It’s very unfair. You can’t do that.

"So, yes, I asked for a review by FIFA. I spoke to a man who is highly respected, and by the way, whose level of respect has gone up tenfold," Trump said.

Netherlands v Morocco: Round Of 32 - FIFA World Cup 2026

'I did receive a call'

Infantino issued a statement of his own on Monday:

"Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues.

"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. That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold."

Balogun Tackling

The red card suspension pushed back

It was revealed Sunday morning that Balogun had his one-game ban suspended for a year. The striker collided awkwardly with Tarik Muharemovic and came down hard on the center back's ankle. It was initially called a foul on the field, but VAR elected to upgrade the decision to a red card.

After the game, manager Mauricio Pochettino questioned the decision, while Christian Pulisic also called it 'unfortunate.' Balogun, meanwhile, said he did not want to question the decision.

Belgium Press Conference - FIFA World Cup 2026

Belgium make their feelings known

Multiple levels of Belgian football expressed their displeasure at the decision. Head coach Rudi Garcia suggested it was an April Fools prank:

"The Belgian federation isn’t just defending itself or the national team; it’s defending football in general - its integrity and its ethics. As far as I recall, I think this is the first time in World Cup history that a decision like this has been made. Anyway, I’m the coach, so I’m going to focus on my team and the match - it doesn’t matter who makes up the USA’s starting lineup. What matters to me is the pitch, my team, winning, and reaching the quarterfinals."

The FA, too, weighed in.

"In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options," it said in a statement.

It was later revealed that Belgium officially appealed FIFA's decision. FIFA dismissed their appeal.

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The floodgates open?

The decision seems to have left FIFA open to similar appeals. On Monday morning, France's FA got involved. According to The Athletic, they appealed to FIFA to rescind a yellow card issued to Michael Olise during their Round of 16 win over Paraguay on Saturday. If Olise picks up another booking in the quarterfinal, he will miss France's semifinal fixture - should they advance.