United States President Donald Trump has publicly admitted to communicating with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to urge a review of the red card given to US national team forward Folarin Balogun. The sanction was handed down during the match against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 2026 World Cup.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump strongly criticized the referee's decision, which he deemed unfair. He argued that the incident involving Balogun was merely a physical collision between players running at high speed, and thus did not warrant an expulsion from the field.
This unusual communication by a head of state to the world football governing body triggered a wave of protests from the international football community. The US's opponent in the round of 16, the Belgian national team, expressed anger over the alleged political intervention that violates the principles of sportsmanship.
Responding to accusations of intervention, Trump denied that he had exceeded his authority. He argued that he was only asking for justice so that the US national team could be reinforced by its best players in crucial matches. 'I was not dictating, I was only asking for a review,' he claimed.
However, FIFA's move to suspend the punishment has only worsened the situation. UEFA even issued an official statement saying that FIFA's decision had crossed a 'red line'. Sharp criticism also came from the President of the German Football Association, Bernd Neuendorf, and former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who questioned the integrity of the competition under the shadow of political influence.
