United States President Donald Trump has confirmed that he personally asked FIFA to review the one match suspension handed to USA striker Folarin Balogun during the FIFA World Cup.
Balogun, 25, had been due to miss the United States last 16 clash against Belgium after receiving a straight red card for a challenge on Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic in the previous round.
However, FIFA stunned the football world by suspending the automatic one match ban for 12 months, allowing Balogun to feature in the knockout tie in Seattle. The Arsenal forward, who has already scored three goals at this summer’s tournament, became eligible for selection following the decision.
The ruling sparked widespread criticism from across the football world, with UEFA, the Royal Belgian Football Association and England manager Thomas Tuchel all questioning the decision.
Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump revealed that he contacted FIFA because he believed Balogun’s dismissal should never have happened.
“I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump said, adding that he asked FIFA to review the incident but did not instruct anyone to overturn the suspension.
The US President also backed the final outcome, insisting FIFA had reached the correct conclusion.
“I think it would have left a big stain. I can’t tell them what to do. 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 for showing Balogun a straight red card, describing the decision as “horrible” and calling the official “a little bit suspect.”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino later addressed Trump’s involvement in a statement posted on X. He confirmed that after receiving the President’s call, he explained that the case remained in the hands of FIFA’s independent judicial bodies.
Infantino said he informed Trump 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”.
Despite that explanation, the decision has continued to generate controversy.
Earlier on Monday, the Royal Belgian Football Association said it was “astonished” by FIFA’s ruling and confirmed it was considering every available option to protect the integrity of the competition.
The Belgian federation stated: “Regardless of the sporting outcome of this match, the RBFA is deeply concerned by the course of events and will continue to fight in the coming hours, days and months in defence of the fundamental principles of ethics, fair competition, and the interests of football as a whole.”
UEFA also voiced strong opposition, warning that FIFA’s intervention had serious implications for the game’s credibility.
European football’s governing body said the decision to effectively cancel an automatic suspension during a World Cup had “crossed a red line” and raised concerns over the integrity of football.
Historically, very few players have escaped suspension after receiving a World Cup red card. Of the 189 previous dismissals in the tournament’s history, only Brazil legend Garrincha avoided a ban after his sending off in 1962. That case came before automatic suspensions were introduced and has long been surrounded by allegations of political interference.
FIFA defended its decision by citing Article 27 of its disciplinary code, which allows disciplinary sanctions to be partially suspended for a probationary period. Under that ruling, Balogun’s one match suspension has been suspended for one year and will only be activated if he commits a similar offence during that period.
However, FIFA has not provided a detailed explanation as to why Article 27 was applied in Balogun’s specific case, leaving the decision at the centre of one of the biggest controversies of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
