Trump Confirms Asking FIFA President To Review Folarin Balogun’s Red Card

President Donald Trump has confirmed that he personally contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to request a review of the red card given to United States striker Folarin Balogun at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said he believed the incident deserved another look but insisted he never asked FIFA to cancel the player’s suspension.

According to the U.S. president, he only requested a review because he felt the challenge should not have been judged as a foul.

He added that the incident involved two players running at full speed before colliding, arguing that it should not have resulted in a red card.

“I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul. All I did was ask for a review, I didn’t say you have to do this,” Trump said.

“That wasn’t even an infraction. That was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other.”

Folarin Balogun, who is currently the U.S top scorer at the tournament, was sent off in the 64th minute of the Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina after being found to have committed a dangerous tackle.

The dismissal meant he was originally set to miss the Round of 16 clash against Belgium.

However, FIFA announced on Sunday that the striker’s one-match suspension had been suspended for one year, making him eligible to feature against Belgium.

The decision marked a rare move by the football governing body and has attracted widespread criticism.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) criticised the ruling, describing it as crossing a “red line.”

The organisation argued that the decision was unjustified and warned that it could set a dangerous precedent for future FIFA World Cup tournaments and football as a whole.

The Royal Belgian Football Association also objected to the decision, saying it appears to conflict with the competition’s regulations.

The federation said it is examining every available option to defend the integrity of the tournament.

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