Trump called FIFA to lift Balogun’s World Cup ban, report says

FIFA stunned the soccer world on Sunday by suspending the automatic one-game ban for United States striker Folarin Balogun, clearing him to play in Monday's World Cup Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle. Hours later, the New York Times reported that President Trump had called FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Wednesday to ask the governing body to review the suspension — a revelation that immediately ignited controversy over political interference in the tournament.sports.yahoo+1

An Unprecedented Reversal

Balogun, the USMNT's leading scorer with three goals in this World Cup, received a straight red card for a foul on Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemović during the team's 2-0 Round of 32 victory on July 1 in Santa Clara. Under FIFA's tournament regulations, the card carried an automatic one-match suspension with no path for appeal — something FIFA officials had confirmed to reporters as recently as last week.sports.yahoo+3

Yet on Sunday afternoon, FIFA's Disciplinary Committee announced it had invoked Article 27 of its disciplinary code to place Balogun's ban on a one-year probationary hold rather than enforce it immediately. "The implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year," FIFA said in its statement. "If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked."bbc+1

NPR reported the decision appears to be the first time since 1962 that a player has been cleared to play in a World Cup match despite receiving a red card in the prior game.npr

Trump's Role and the Fallout

According to the New York Times, Trump telephoned Infantino on Wednesday — the same day as Balogun's red card — and asked FIFA to review the suspension. After the reversal was announced, Trump praised the outcome on Truth Social: "Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!"nytimes+3

Politico reported that the decision has deepened internal opposition to Infantino within FIFA, with at least three of the organization's eight vice presidents expressing frustration with what they see as the president's willingness to accommodate Trump. Belgium's football association issued a statement expressing displeasure with the ruling.politico+1

What Comes Next

U.S. Soccer struck a measured tone, saying it accepted the decision and that "our full attention is focused on the Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle." Balogun's teammates learned the news on their team bus Sunday morning. "I think a lot of us thought it was AI at first," one player told reporters.sports.yahoo+1

The match is set for Monday at 5 p.m. ET at Lumen Field, with Balogun now expected to lead the American attack.sports.yahoo