Trump says he asked FIFA to review Balogun red card

President Donald Trump said Monday he personally asked FIFA to review the red card shown to U.S. striker Folarin Balogun, confirming his involvement after soccer’s governing body lifted the player’s automatic suspension ahead of the United States’ World Cup match against Belgium.

“All I did was ask for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I didn’t tell him what to do. I can’t tell him what to do.”

Balogun had been sent off during the United States’ 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last 32 on Wednesday. FIFA lifted his automatic one-match ban on Sunday, clearing him to play Monday night in Seattle for a place in the quarterfinals, despite officials previously saying the sanction could not be appealed under FIFA’s disciplinary code.

Trump said he spoke with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, whom he called “highly respected,” but insisted he had “nothing to do with the decision.” He said he believed Balogun’s challenge was not a foul and criticized Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, describing him as “very suspect” and saying he had made “a call that nobody could believe.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Trump said. “That wasn’t a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction. That was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other.”

NBC News reported that Balogun’s red card came after a replay review showed him appearing to inadvertently step on the back of another player’s leg. Trump rejected the idea that the play warranted a suspension, saying, “That was not a guy punching somebody in the face or anything that, you know, would be different.”

“It’s one thing to penalize somebody for the game,” he said. “But how do you penalize them for a game that hasn’t been played yet? It’s very unfair.”

Neither Trump nor FIFA explained the legal basis for lifting the suspension. The Guardian reported that sources said Trump made three calls to FIFA beginning Wednesday in an effort to secure the reversal. The White House did not respond to The Guardian’s request for comment, and FIFA declined to comment.

NBC News, citing two people familiar with the discussions, reported that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who attended the match and sat next to Infantino, began making calls afterward to see what could be done. The network also reported that Andrew Giuliani, head of the FIFA White House Task Force, informed Trump of the situation, leading to days of discussions about how the federal government could help the U.S. soccer legal team argue for overturning the red card.

A U.S. official told NBC News that Trump spoke with Infantino because he “wanted to better understand the reason why a red card was given and why there was a suspension.” The official said the U.S. government provided additional evidence used in the appeal process and that an independent board runs that process.

The reversal drew a sharp response from Belgium. The Royal Belgian Football Association said Monday it would challenge Balogun’s eligibility and “has no alternative but to challenge the player’s eligibility for the upcoming match.”

“Regardless of the sporting outcome of this match, the RBFA is deeply concerned by the course of events and will continue to fight in the coming hours, days and months in defence of the fundamental principles of ethics, fair competition, and the interests of football as a whole,” the association said.

Balogun, 25, is the United States’ leading scorer at the tournament and scored the opening goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina before his dismissal. Trump said both teams should have their best players available: “If we win or we lose, it’s fair.”