Donald Trump has confirmed he personally asked Fifa to review the red-card ban on US striker Folarin Balogun, triggering international outrage and accusations that political interference has tarnished the World Cup. The US president’s admission, made at the White House on Monday, came hours before Balogun was due to play against Belgium in Seattle – a match that now proceeds under a cloud of controversy.
Balogun, 25, was sent off in the previous round against Bosnia-Herzegovina for a foul on defender Tarik Muharemovic. Under Fifa rules, he faced an automatic one-match suspension, ruling him out of the last-16 tie. But after Trump called Fifa president Gianni Infantino, the governing body made the shock decision to suspend the ban for 12 months, freeing Balogun – who has scored three goals at the tournament – to play against Belgium.
“Donald Trump admitted asking Fifa to review Folarin Balogun's red-card ban, sparking global outcry.”
Trump said he asked Infantino to review the decision because he “didn’t think it was a foul”. He called referee Raphael Claus “horrible” and “a little bit suspect”. The Brazilian football confederation defended Claus, saying there is “nothing in his record that discredits him”. Trump added: “I can’t tell them what to do. I believe it was the commission that made the decision. And it was the right decision.”
The Royal Belgian Football Association said it was “astonished” and contested Balogun’s eligibility. Uefa called the move “incomprehensible and unjustifiable”, adding that it left the integrity of football at stake. The European Commission urged “fair play and transparent competition”, with commissioner Glenn Micallef saying Fifa had reached “the wrong decision”. Belgium’s foreign minister, Maxime Prévot, warned that if a phone call led to the decision, it would “undermine the most basic rules of football”.
Infantino insisted the decision was made independently by Fifa’s judicial bodies. But the fallout is spreading. England are now considering appealing Jarell Quansah’s red card against Mexico, after the FA saw Balogun’s ban suspended following Trump’s intervention. France have also submitted an appeal to void a yellow card for Michael Olise. With the tournament’s rulebook suddenly looking fragile, the question hangs over Seattle: can the game ever trust that this victory is fair?