Trump’s call – FIFA reversed a one-game red-card suspension for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun after President Donald Trump personally intervened with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, making Balogun eligible for the U.S. match against Belgium. The decision drew sharp criticism
A red card at the World Cup is supposed to mean something. A one-game suspension, too.
But after President Donald Trump personally called FIFA President Gianni Infantino following the U.S. men’s soccer team’s win in the FIFA World Cup last week. FIFA reversed its punishment of striker Folarin Balogun. On Sunday, FIFA announced Balogun would be eligible to play in the upcoming U.S. match against Belgium.
It was an unusually fast reversal for a World Cup red-card case. FIFA said it was the first time in 64 years that it nullified a suspension for a red card received during the World Cup.
Trump framed the move as vindication. On Sunday, he wrote on Truth Social: “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!”
UEFA reacted with anger. In a statement. it said it had “disbelief at such an unprecedented. incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision” and argued the ruling undermined not just the tournament but soccer itself. UEFA said football. like any other sport. relies on rules that are “the basis for fair. honest and transparent competition. ” and warned that when “the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians. the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined.”.
On Monday, Trump turned to the referee who gave Balogun the red card: Raphael Claus. Trump described Claus as “very suspect,” a remark that appeared to echo past accusations of match fixing.
The decision to reverse the red card followed a review that included the video assistant referee. Balogun’s suspension was one game, and FIFA lifted it, clearing the way for him to suit up against Belgium.
Trump denied that his intervention established a precedent for world leaders to meddle in sport. When asked if his call created a concerning pattern, he dismissed the idea. “I had nothing to do with the decision,” he said on Monday. “What I did have to do is, I said, I think this should be reviewed.”.
The reversal is not the first time FIFA has shown itself willing to accommodate Trump. After years of Trump lobbying and begging for a Nobel Peace Prize failed, FIFA created its own peace prize last year and presented it to him.
FIFA also signed a partnership agreement with Trump’s so-called Board of Peace. FIFA said the deal would “foster investment into football for the purpose of helping the recovery process in post conflict areas. ” with Infantino announcing the arrangement earlier this year. Trump controls the Board of Peace’s finances as its chair. creating what the article describes as a massive slush fund. For the past year, FIFA has also leased office space at Trump Tower in New York City.
FIFA’s shift in Balogun’s case comes as the federation has faced scrutiny about its relationship with Trump. including questions that were raised for months about the peace prize and FIFA’s loyalty to him. FIFA spokesperson Jhamie Chin did not reply to repeated questions about FIFA’s recent decision on Balogun’s suspension.
Trump’s comments about elections have often been compared to the broader issue of rule-based legitimacy. The article links the FIFA episode to Trump’s longer campaign to weaken the credibility of electoral processes in the United States. including his push for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act. which threatens to increase the difficulty or block the ability to vote for millions of eligible American citizens. The Brennan Center for Justice found that more than 21 million citizens do not have ready access to a birth certificate. a passport. or naturalization papers that would be needed to comply with a so-called “show your papers” provision.
Trump has spent years promoting claims that elections are “rigged,” including his 2020 loss to Joe Biden. After the 2020 election, results were certified, and 61 of 62 lawsuits challenging the results failed. Still, Trump continues to claim—without offering evidence—that he won the 2020 race. The article notes he has also said. without proof. that Democratic electoral victories are the result of fraud. most recently claiming the Los Angeles mayoral race was “rigged” against former reality star Spencer Pratt.
After FIFA reversed Balogun’s suspension, Trump signaled he would use the same framing in sports. He said on Monday he would view a victory by Belgium “in the same light.” “If they beat us, I say it was rigged, just like the election was rigged in 2020,” he announced.
FIFA, for its part, has already publicly acknowledged Trump. In awarding him its inaugural peace prize. FIFA said Trump was “recognised for his tireless efforts to promote peace.” The article says that in the five-plus years Trump has been in the White House. the U.S. has been embroiled in more than 20 military interventions, armed conflicts, and wars, citing an analysis by The Intercept.
When asked in February how FIFA could ignore Trump’s constant war-making, Chin deflected, failing to respond to repeated follow-up questions on Monday.
The Balogun decision puts the dispute in stark terms: a World Cup rulebook that is meant to be applied the same way for everyone collided with a phone call Trump said he asked to have his case reviewed—an outcome UEFA says threatens the credibility of the sport itself.
FIFA Donald Trump Gianni Infantino Folarin Balogun Belgium UEFA Raphael Claus World Cup suspension Truth Social SAVE America Act