President Donald Trump said Monday that he asked FIFA to review U.S. men’s national team striker Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension before world soccer’s governing body reversed the decision, making the forward eligible to play in the United States’ World Cup round-of-16 match against Belgium.
Speaking during an Oval Office event, Trump confirmed he had requested a review by FIFA after being asked by a reporter about the matter. He also said he had “nothing to do with the decision.”
“I asked for a review by FIFA,” Trump said. He added that he spoke with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, whom he described as “highly respected.”
Balogun, the United States’ leading scorer at the tournament with three goals, was initially issued an automatic one-match suspension after receiving a straight red card for a challenge on Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic during the Americans’ 2-0 victory in the previous round.
On Sunday, FIFA announced that Balogun’s one-match suspension would be suspended for one year, citing a rule that allows certain punishments to be suspended. The decision cleared the striker to play against Belgium on Monday night.
Trump said he did not believe Balogun’s challenge warranted a suspension, describing the incident as “two great athletes that crashed into each other and got entangled.” He contrasted the play with violent conduct, saying it was not “a guy punching somebody in the face,” and criticized the referee’s decision to issue a red card. He also said he opposed preventing one of the team’s top players from appearing in the next World Cup match.
Following FIFA’s decision, Trump posted on Truth Social thanking the organization “for doing what was right and reversing a great injustice.”
The reversal prompted criticism from UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, which called the decision “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.”
In a statement, UEFA said FIFA had “crossed a red line” by suspending the implementation of Balogun’s automatic one-match ban during the tournament. The organization argued that an automatic suspension following a red card is a mandatory provision under the rules and should not be subject to discretionary exceptions.
UEFA said the decision put “the integrity of the game” and the competition’s credibility at risk, adding that it created a precedent that could require similar treatment in future cases involving other players.
Belgium’s Football Federation also criticized the ruling, saying it was shocked by the reversal and was “investigating all potential options.”
The United States and Belgium are scheduled to meet tonight for a place in the World Cup quarterfinals.
