The United States’ FIFA World Cup dream has come to an end, but not before one of the tournament’s biggest off-field stories unfolded at the highest level of politics, Cape {town} Etc reports.
US President Donald Trump revealed that he personally contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to request a review of the red card shown to American striker Folarin Balogun, describing the decision as ‘horrible’ and insisting the forward deserved to play in the knockout stages.
FIFA ultimately suspended Balogun’s one-match ban, allowing him to feature in the United States’ last-16 clash against Belgium. However, the decision did little to change the outcome, as Belgium produced a commanding display to eliminate the Americans with a convincing 4-1 victory on Monday night.
Balogun, who had entered the match as one of the USA’s standout performers after scoring three goals earlier in the tournament, struggled to make an impact against Belgium and endured a disappointing outing as the Americans bowed out.
The controversy stemmed from the USA’s 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the previous round, where Balogun scored before being sent off in the 64th minute following a VAR review.
Officials judged that the striker had dangerously stepped on the ankle of Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic, resulting in a straight red card and an automatic suspension.
The punishment quickly became a talking point, with Trump admitting he only learned about the consequences of a red card after being informed it would rule Balogun out of the next match.
Speaking during a White House media briefing, Trump explained why he decided to get involved.
‘All I did was ask for a review. I didn’t say, you have to do this,’ Trump said.
He also praised Infantino while defending his decision to make the call.
‘This man is a smart, tough man, Gianni Infantino. He’s a smart, tough man, and his stock has gone through the roof because the job he has done has been great. I feel like we have to have all the best players on the field.’
Trump argued that the incident had been exaggerated by slow-motion replays and insisted Balogun had done nothing worthy of a dismissal.
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‘I didn’t think it was a foul,’ he said.
‘I thought it was two great athletes that crashed each other and got entangled.’
He also questioned the referee’s decision-making, saying he believed the official had made a call ‘that nobody could believe.’
FIFA’s disciplinary committee later suspended the red card, making Balogun eligible to face Belgium while postponing the suspension to a later date.
The governing body also rejected an attempt by the Belgian Football Federation to challenge that ruling, stating the federation had no legal standing in the disciplinary proceedings.
In a separate statement, FIFA clarified that its disciplinary rules allow the committee to exercise discretion when handling cases of this nature.
Infantino also responded publicly after Trump’s comments, confirming that the two had spoken but stressing that he played no role in the final decision.
‘FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent,’ Infantino said.
‘They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them.’
He added that while he regularly discusses World Cup matters with political leaders around the world, he informed Trump that Balogun’s case was already being handled through FIFA’s independent legal process.
‘I read the decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee when they are issued. Sometimes, I am surprised by them. Sometimes, I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree.
‘What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them.’
Despite the successful appeal, the USA could not build on its impressive tournament run. Belgium capitalised on their chances throughout the match, while Balogun was unable to reproduce the form that had made him one of the Americans’ key attacking threats during the group stage and the round of 32.
For the United States, the debate surrounding Balogun’s red card may continue long after the tournament, but their World Cup campaign is now over after a comprehensive defeat to a clinical Belgian side.
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Picture: Evan Vucci / Gallo Images
