– WASHINGTON
President Donald Trump publicly confirmed on Monday that he personally contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino and asked him to review the red card shown to U.S. forward Folarin Balogun.
The incident occurred during the round of 32 match between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Balogun received a straight red card after a VAR review, resulting in an automatic one-match suspension that would have ruled him out of the round of 16 match against Belgium.
Trump called the referee's decision ‘horrible,’ stating that Balogun ‘did nothing wrong’ and that the two players simply got tangled up at full speed. He repeatedly emphasized that he only requested a review and did not demand any specific outcome. ‘All I did was ask for a review. I didn't say they had to do this,’ Trump stated during a press conference at the White House.
FIFA's disciplinary committee subsequently suspended the one-match ban, allowing Balogun to play against Belgium. The organization stated that the decision was made following an independent review in accordance with its disciplinary code. This incident has sparked widespread debate about refereeing consistency and concerns about potential political interference in World Cup decisions.