Trump Confirms Speaking To FIFA President Over Folarin Balogun Red Card.

 

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he spoke with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review of the red card shown to United States forward Folarin Balogun, insisting he did not pressure FIFA to overturn the decision.Speaking at the White House on Monday, 6 July, Trump said he contacted Infantino after learning that Balogun's dismissal would result in a suspension for the USA's FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash against Belgium.

According to Trump, he asked only for the incident to be reviewed, arguing that Balogun had committed no offence worthy of a red card. He described the challenge as an accidental collision between two players and criticised Brazilian referee Raphael Claus for the decision.

The controversy intensified after Belgium reportedly submitted a late appeal seeking to have Balogun's suspension reinstated ahead of the match in Seattle. FIFA rejected the appeal, allowing the American forward to be available for selection.

Trump claimed the fixture would have been unfair had Balogun remained suspended, saying both teams should compete at full strength. He also repeated criticism of referee Claus, referencing past allegations made against the official in Brazil in 2023. Claus was never charged with any wrongdoing, and there have been no allegations of misconduct involving him during the current FIFA World Cup.

The US President stressed that he did not instruct Infantino to reverse the decision, describing the FIFA chief as "a smart, tough man" and insisting the final ruling was entirely FIFA's.

In response to the growing controversy, Infantino confirmed that he had received a call from Trump but emphasised that FIFA's disciplinary process operates independently.

The FIFA President said he had informed Trump that the matter was being handled by the organisation's independent judicial bodies and would be decided through the established legal process. He added that while he may personally agree or disagree with certain disciplinary decisions, he always respects the autonomy of FIFA's judicial institutions.

Infantino said respect for independent decision-making and the rule of law remains essential to protecting the integrity and credibility of FIFA competitions.