Gianni Infantino, president of the International Federation of Association Football "FIFA", revealed the truth about Donald Trump's intervention, President of the United States of America, in lifting the penalty of Folarin Balogun, the American player.
Infantino said in a statement via FIFA's account: "I have reviewed the public statements related to the decision of FIFA's independent disciplinary committee regarding the suspension of Folarin Balogun, and I would like to reaffirm a fundamental principle of FIFA's governance".
"FIFA's judicial bodies are independent, operate autonomously, apply FIFA's Disciplinary Regulations, and adjudicate cases based on the applicable regulations and the facts specific to each case. Their independence is essential to maintaining the credibility and integrity of football, and must always be respected".
"Yes, I regularly discuss World Cup-related matters with the President of the United States Donald Trump, and in this case I received a call from him, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders, and business executives from around the world on many different issues. During our conversation, I explained to him that there is an ongoing legal process before FIFA's independent judicial bodies, and that the case will be decided in due course by the competent authorities. This is how FIFA's system works, and it is a principle I will continue to uphold at all times".
"I read FIFA's disciplinary committee decisions when they are issued. Sometimes I am surprised by them, sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree with them".
"But what I always do is respect those decisions and the independence of the bodies that issue them. Whether we like any decision on a personal level or not, that is irrelevant. Respecting independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and maintains FIFA's credibility at all times".
What happened?
Balogun was sent off during the match against Bosnia due to a strong challenge on Bosnia player Tarik Mehremović's foot with a direct red card after the referee reviewed the video technology.
Consequently, the player was expected to miss the match against Belgium in the round of 16 due to the suspension.
After the match, according to "The Athletic" network, a FIFA official told them that "no team has the right to appeal against a player's sending off in the World Cup".
However, 24 hours before the match, FIFA's disciplinary committee issued a decision to suspend the suspension of America's striker and top scorer with 3 goals in the 2026 World Cup.
Journalist Ben Jacobs indicated that the White House made a direct call to FIFA to ask Infantino to review the red card.
Then Donald Trump, President of America, wrote on his Truth Social account: "Thank you FIFA for doing the right thing, and correcting a great injustice".
A FIFA source told Jacobs that any influence from the White House could not affect the decision, given the powers granted by Article 27 as well as the independence of the disciplinary committee that issued the decision.
The American national team is preparing to face Belgium tomorrow, Monday, in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.
The European Football Association "UEFA" criticized the decision of the International Federation "FIFA" to lift the suspension of Folarin Balogun, the American national team player.
The American national team is scheduled to meet its Belgian counterpart at 3 a.m. Tuesday, Cairo time, in the round of 16 matches of the World Cup.
UEFA issued a statement in which it explained that lifting the suspension on Balogun crossed the red line and harms the competition.
UEFA's statement was as follows:
"Yesterday's decision to suspend the application of the automatic one-match suspension for a one-year probationary period after the red card issued against player Folarin Balogun has crossed the red line.
Football, like other sports, relies on rules that form the basis of fair and transparent competition. Some rules may be open to interpretation, but not in this case. The automatic one-match suspension at minimum after a red card is not a discretionary option, nor does it require a decision from a competent authority. It is a firmly established principle in the regulations, and no provision of it may be exempted, especially in the middle of a tournament where many players have already faced the same situation and served their suspensions regularly.
When those in charge of the rules do not ensure their consistency, the integrity of the game is at stake, and the credibility of the competition is endangered. This decision also sets a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will require equal treatment, which harms the competition.
Football is the most popular sport in the world for its beauty, and because it enjoys widespread trust in applying uniform laws around the world. No tournament is isolated from others, and if the tournament in question is the World Cup, it is capable of having positive or negative effects on the game as a whole.
We express our strong astonishment at this unprecedented, incomprehensible, and unjustified decision."
Donald Trump, President of America, also spoke about the matter and said that he had indeed spoken with Infantino about Balogun's sending off.
Trump said during a press meeting with him in New York: "Yes, I spoke with Infantino about the red card on our player Balogun, I did that and Biden did nothing, he was asleep".
He added, "I understand sports very well, there was no foul against Balogun and the referee is suspicious, I don't want to make controversial statements but I can reveal the referee's records to you".
