United States President Donald Trump has admitted he personally asked FIFA to review Folarin Balogun’s World Cup suspension, insisting the governing body ultimately “made the right decision” by allowing the striker to play in the United States’ last-16 clash against Belgium.
Balogun had been due to miss the knockout tie after receiving a straight red card during the Americans’ previous match against Bosnia and Herzegovina for a challenge on defender Tarik Muharemović. However, FIFA took the highly unusual step of suspending the automatic one-match ban for a probationary period of 12 months, making the 25-year-old eligible for selection.
The decision has sparked fierce criticism across the football world, with UEFA, the Royal Belgian Football Association and England head coach Thomas Tuchel all questioning the integrity of the disciplinary process.
Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump confirmed he had contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino after disagreeing with the referee’s decision to send off the Monaco forward.
“All I did, I asked for a review, because I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump said.
The US President stressed he had not instructed FIFA how to rule on the case, maintaining that the final decision rested with the organisation’s independent disciplinary bodies.
“I didn’t tell them what to do. I can’t tell them what to do,” Trump said.
“I think it would have left a big stain. I don’t believe they made the decision; I believe it was the commission that made the decision. And it was the right decision.”
Trump also criticised Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, describing the decision to dismiss Balogun as “horrible” and suggesting the official was “a little bit suspect”.
The controversy intensified after Infantino revealed details of his conversation with the US President.
In a statement, the FIFA president said he informed Trump that the case was already before FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and would be decided through the governing body’s established disciplinary procedures. He later reiterated that those bodies operate independently and that their decisions must be respected regardless of personal opinion.
Despite those assurances, Belgium’s football federation reacted angrily to the outcome.
The Royal Belgian Football Association said it was “astonished” by FIFA’s ruling and warned it would continue fighting to defend “the fundamental principles of ethics, fair competition, and the interests of football as a whole”.
UEFA also issued a strongly worded response, describing the intervention as “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable” and warning that the decision threatened the integrity and credibility of football.
England manager Thomas Tuchel questioned where the sport should draw the line when reviewing disciplinary decisions.
“Where to draw the line is the question that I ask,” Tuchel said.
“Do we appeal if a yellow card is not a yellow card? Do we think it is not a red card or who thinks it? Where does this start and where does this end? It’s my question. I don’t have an answer.”
Balogun’s availability is a significant boost for the United States, with the striker having already scored three goals during the tournament.
FIFA cited Article 27 of its disciplinary code when announcing that Balogun’s automatic suspension would instead be suspended for a one-year probationary period. However, the organisation has not provided a detailed explanation as to why that provision was applied in this particular case.
The decision is exceptionally rare in World Cup history.
According to tournament records, only one previous player had avoided suspension after receiving a World Cup red card before automatic bans were introduced — Brazil legend Garrincha in 1962, in a case that has long been surrounded by allegations of political interference.
With Balogun now cleared to face Belgium, attention has shifted from the pitch to FIFA’s disciplinary process, leaving one of the biggest talking points of the 2026 World Cup centred not on football itself, but on the independence of the sport’s governing institutions.
