Trump asked FIFA’s head to look into the US star’s World Cup suspension – President Donald Trump contacted Gianni Infantino on July 1 to request that the FIFA president investigate the controversial red card awarded to star US Men’s National Soccer Team striker Folarin Balogun, according to two sources familiar with the conversation.
Balogun’s red card and ban for the next United States World Cup match were reversed on July 5.
The clearing of Balogun, the team’s top goal scorer and striker, gives the United States a significant advantage in its round of 16 encounter against Belgium on July 6 in Seattle. Balogun’s red card during a World Cup match versus Bosnia-Herzegovina for stepping on an opponent’s ankle was criticized for being overly harsh.
Following the reversal, Trump expressed gratitude to FIFA for “doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” on Truth Social.
Over the last year, Trump and Infantino have developed a friendly connection, with the president hosting the FIFA president many times at the White House and Infantino presenting Trump with FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize.
A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Trump wants to “better understand” why Balogun was red carded and suspended.
The Trump administration also gave more material to support a future appeal of Balogun’s red card, according to the official, though no formal appeal was filed. FIFA’s rules only permit an appeal if games are added to the original suspension.
FIFA issued a statement on the highly uncommon reversal, citing the federation’s disciplinary guidelines but not addressing Trump’s discussion with Infantino.
FIFA’s rules read, “The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.” The player’s suspension is lifted after a probationary term.According to article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the match suspension will be suspended for a one-year probationary period,” FIFA stated regarding the Balogun ruling. “If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the punishment will be enforced without prejudice to any subsequent sanction imposed for the new infringement.”
FIFA used a similar rule to allow Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo to compete in the 2026 World Cup despite receiving a three-match ban for an elbow thrown in a 2025 World Cup qualifier against Ireland.
The New York Times, which first revealed Trump’s call to Infantino, stated that Trump-connected attorneys sent a three-page statement to the United States Soccer Federation claiming that FIFA’s rules were unclear enough to warrant an appeal of Balogun’s suspension. Legal options considered included claiming the United States’ ability to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports, the athletic world’s top arbitration body, according to the Times.
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