Trump intervenes as FIFA lifts Folarin Balogun's World Cup suspension

President Donald Trump intervened on behalf of American star forward Folarin Balogun, whose red-card suspension was lifted in a decision that allows him to play in a World Cup match against Belgium on Monday.

Balogun, the American leader with three goals in the tournament, received a red card for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemović of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a 2-0 round-of-32 win on Wednesday, triggering an automatic one-match suspension.

FIFA announced on Sunday that the suspension had been lifted for the round-of-16 match, an extraordinary move that triggered praise from Trump and outrage from Belgium’s team. It appeared to be the first time since 1962 that a red card during a World Cup had not resulted in a suspension.

More from Sports

Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the game, asking FIFA to review the red card, according to a person familiar with the call who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorised to speak publicly about the matter.

“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump said in a statement on social media.

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was “astonished”, and Belgium manager Rudi Garcia mocked FIFA’s action.

“I didn’t know that in the offices of FIFA the fifth of July was the first of April in Europe,” Garcia said through a translator in an April Fools' Day comparison. “The Belgian federation does not defend itself, it does not protect the national team. It defends football in general; it defends its integrity, its ethics. I think it’s the first time in the history of the World Cup that there has been this kind of decision.”

Garcia would not respond when asked about a possible appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport or whether he thought Trump had influenced FIFA’s action.

“In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options,” the Belgian federation said in a statement.

American players learned of Balogun’s availability when social media posts started popping up during the 10-minute bus ride on Sunday morning from their hotel to training at the University of Washington’s Husky Soccer Stadium, where they were greeted by Dubs II, the university's Alaskan Malamute.

Balogun’s red card had been one of the World Cup's most controversial and consequential decisions. Brazilian referee Raphael Claus did not initially signal a card but showed Balogun a red card after a video review.

“If you look at the foul, there was zero intent at all,” U.S. star Christian Pulisic said. “I felt like there were much worse ones during this tournament.”

The U.S. Soccer Federation learned of FIFA's action in a message sent through FIFA's portal at 10:31 a.m. EDT.

“The implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year,” FIFA announced. “If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”

U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino applauded FIFA's move.

“We were punished enough against Bosnia and Herzegovina by having to play with 10 men for 30 minutes after a decision that was completely unfair,” he said.

Pochettino, who played for Argentina in the 2002 World Cup, was not surprised Trump decided to call Infantino.

“I came from a culture, Argentina or Europe, where football is a religion, more than religion,” he said. “If we keep going, pushing on, maybe one step more tomorrow you will see that the sport is magic, that the sport is amazing, is so powerful, unites people, unites a country like us.”

Balogun’s three goals included a go-ahead strike against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He matched Landon Donovan in 2010 for the second-most goals by an American at a World Cup, behind only Bert Patenaude’s four in the inaugural tournament in 1930.

The 25-year-old, who plays for Monaco, scored 13 Ligue 1 goals last season and has 12 goals in 30 international appearances. He was born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents who were living in London and, in 2023, opted to change his national team allegiance from England, which he had represented at under-21 level.

“He strikes fear into a lot of defenders,” Richards said.

The host U.S. are seeking to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2002. The Americans lost in the round of 16 to Ghana in 2010, Belgium in 2014 and the Netherlands in 2022. They failed to advance from the group stage in 2006 and did not qualify for the 2018 tournament.

The USSF did not make Balogun available for comment on Sunday, but Balogun posted a picture of himself on social media in front of U.S. fans, overlaid with Michael Jackson’s pop single Bad.

On Friday, Balogun said he thought a yellow card instead of a red card “would have been fair”.

FIFA said its decision relied on Article 27 of the disciplinary committee rules.

“The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure,” the rule states. “By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years.”

FIFA in November deferred the final two games of a three-match ban for Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo following a red card against Ireland in a World Cup qualifier, allowing him to play at the start of the World Cup.

Argentina defender Nicolás Otamendi and Ecuador midfielder Moisés Caicedo in April had one-match bans deferred for red cards in qualifiers, also allowing them to be available for their World Cup openers.

Brazilian midfielder Garrincha received a red card in the 83rd minute of the 1962 semi-final against hosts Chile for kicking an opponent but was allowed to play in the final against Czechoslovakia after a lobbying campaign that included support from Chilean President Jorge Alessandri. Brazil won the final for its second consecutive title.

“What about the next red card? What happens then?” Norway manager Ståle Solbakken said. “Is there going to be some committee somewhere that is going to take that card away? It’s a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad decision that will hurt the World Cup.”