Trump call – FIFA overturned Folarin Balogun’s red-card suspension after a call from President Donald Trump to FIFA president Gianni Infantino. The decision clears Balogun to face Belgium in the World Cup round of 16 in Seattle on Monday evening, even as Belgium’s football
Folarin Balogun will be on the field Monday evening in Seattle — and the road to that restart has already become a political flashpoint.
FIFA lifted the U.S. star’s suspension, clearing him to play against Belgium in the World Cup round of 16. The lift comes after the type of red card that typically triggers an automatic one-game ban.
Balogun had been shown a red card after colliding with a Bosnian player and spiking his opponent’s ankle during the U.S. win over Bosnia. The ejection, by normal tournament rules, would normally have meant an automatic suspension for the next match.
But President Donald Trump intervened in the process. Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino after last week’s U.S. win over Bosnia. Then, on Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social saying, “Thank you, FIFA, for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice.”
That combination — a U.S. president reaching into FIFA’s disciplinary process and a high-profile red card being reversed — has set off a sharp reaction. Belgium’s football association said it was “astonished” by the reversal. pointing directly at the impact of the decision on a crucial game they view as already settled on the pitch.
FIFA’s move also carries historical weight. The Associated Press reports it is the first time since 1962 that a World Cup red card has not resulted in a suspension.
So after the controversy, the schedule moves forward: the U.S. faces Belgium Monday night in Seattle. The winner advances to the quarterfinals, and the loser goes home — a single result that could either quiet the argument or sharpen it, depending on what happens once the whistle blows.
Folarin Balogun FIFA Gianni Infantino Donald Trump Truth Social Belgium football association World Cup round of 16 Seattle