Donald Trump has taken credit for overturning one of FIFA’s most controversial decisions in this year’s World Cup. United States men’s national soccer team striker Folarin Balogun was handed a red card during the teams match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on July 2, 2026. In a surprising move, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee reversed the decision to suspend Balogun, allowing him to play in the Round16 match against Belgium.
Donald Trump takes credit for FIFA’s decision to let Folarin Balogun play
The New York Times reported that Trump said he personally urged FIFA president Gianni Infantino to reconsider Balogun’s red-card suspension. The decision has prompted objections from UEFA and Belgian officials. The controversial movie is the first time since 1962 that FIFA has nullified a suspension for a red card. Speaking in a press conference, the U.S. President has since confirmed that he spoke with Infantino regarding the matter.
“That wasn’t a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction,” Trump said. “That was two guys running full-speed that happened to crash into each other. You can’t take your foot and properly place it on somebody else’s foot- these are two great athletes that got tangled up, and this referee, who is a little bit suspect, if you check his past . . . he made a call that nobody could believe.”
“It’s one thing to penalize somebody for the game, but how do you penalize them for a game that hasn’t been played yet? It’s very unfair. You can’t do that,” the president continued. “So, yes, I asked for a review by FIFA.”
The report claims that senior Trump administration officials communicated with lawyers to help the U.S. Soccer Federation try to appeal the suspension. This included Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, and Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House task force on the World Cup.
In his call with Gianni Infantino, Trump reportedly brought up allegations that the referee, Raphael Claus, was involved in match fixing in Brazil. The U.S. Soccer Federation also argued against the reviewing of slow-motion footage by officials before handing Balogun the red card.
In response, the Royal Belgian Football Association has stated that it is “deeply concerned by the course of events.” The association revealed that it is “investigating all potential options”. According to the association, FIFA refused to respond to the RBFA’s requests to seek an explanation on the decision to lift the Balogun’s suspension.
Baogun will participate in the USA vs. Belgium match on July 7, 2026 in Seattle.
