Trump asked FIFA to review US striker's penalty

2026-07-06

US President Donald Trump said on the 6th that he had asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the suspension imposed on a World Cup US national team player.

Review of Balogun's suspension

US striker Folarin Balogun received a red card after stamping on an opponent's foot in the round-of-16 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was originally set to be suspended for the match against Belgium on the 6th, but FIFA announced on the 5th that it would defer the punishment for one year.

Trump told reporters at a White House event on the 6th that he had indeed asked FIFA to review the case, acknowledging his involvement. He also said he did not know what a red card meant, and when he heard Balogun would miss the next match, he said, 'He did nothing wrong. It is very unfair that the best players cannot play.'

At the same time, he said, 'I was not involved at all in the FIFA decision,' but added, 'I spoke to one person. He worked for the United States. I was the one who got him moving,' boasting about his intervention.

UEFA criticises the decision

Infantino posted on X, formerly Twitter, on the 6th that he had received a call from Trump, saying this was no different from receiving calls from government officials, football officials and others around the world. He added that there was no problem and stressed that 'FIFA's judicial bodies are independent.'

In response, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) issued a statement on the 6th saying that 'a line has been crossed' and strongly criticised the decision to overturn the punishment as 'unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.'

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