By Steve HollandMonday July 6, 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump holds up a red card as he meets with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., August 28, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis Purchase Licensing Rights
A disciplinary ruling, a presidential phone call and a striker’s reprieve have pushed the United States’ World Cup run into extraordinary territory, after FIFA on Sunday suspended Folarin Balogun’s automatic red-card ban and made him available for Monday’s last-16 meeting with Belgium following U.S. President Donald Trump’s personal appeal to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The decision placed FIFA’s disciplinary machinery under intense international scrutiny, drew a sharp protest from Belgium and turned one of the tournament’s most contentious debates away from formations and matchups toward the uneasy intersection of football governance and political influence.
Within minutes, the ruling had set off a major tournament flashpoint, leading sports broadcasts and talk shows as analysts, former players and commentators debated whether FIFA had corrected an error or weakened the authority of its own regulations.
With questions growing over how the decision was reached, FIFA did not answer multiple Reuters requests for comment on the ruling or Trump’s call with Infantino.
Balogun, who scored his third goal of the World Cup in the 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, was dismissed in the second half after planting his boot into the ankle of Tarik Muharemovic.
The 25-year-old received the red card following a VAR review, though U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino argued the challenge did not warrant a sending-off.
Trump telephoned Infantino to ask world soccer’s governing body to review the decision, according to a source briefed on the call.FIFA is allowing Balogun to play without rescinding the red card.
“In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year,” FIFA said in a statement.
“If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”
The judicial body has the authority to suspend the enforcement of a disciplinary sanction either in full or in part.
‘A GREAT INJUSTICE'”Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, while the White House marked Balogun’s return to the squad with a post on X reading: “USA-USA-USA.”
U.S. Soccer accepted the outcome, and Balogun’s teammates said they learned of it through social media while traveling to training before Monday’s match in Seattle.
“We found out about it just coming over here,” American forward Christian Pulisic told reporters. “At first, you’re like, ‘Oh really, is this real?’ And then ‘Oh, this is great news’.”
Pochettino embraced the decision when he spoke at a U.S. press conference in Seattle on Sunday evening.
“I think 99.9% of people in football have said this is an unfair punishment and there’s evidence from the past that makes it possible to suspend a punishment and to fulfil it later on, so I don’t understand how people can be surprised,” he told reporters.
“This has happened in the past. It’s not something extraordinary that has only happened for us, it has happened in the past. And we’ve seen many players in this World Cup that were not punished and I’m happy for this because it would have been unfair.”
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he also felt Balogun’s challenge did not merit a red card, but he questioned the broader implications of suspending the punishment, speaking after defender Jarell Quansah was dismissed in England’s 3-2 last-16 win over Mexico on Sunday.
“I think first of all to be very clear that it is not a red card (for Balogun). But VAR got involved and obviously three people from VAR checked it and were of the opinion that it was a red card. So the decision is made,” Tuchel told reporters at the Azteca Stadium.
“Who overturns this decision then and when? And on what grounds? How far does this go now? This is strange for me… Where does this start and where does this end?”
BELGIUM ‘ASTONISHED’ BY DECISION
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was “astonished” that FIFA had cleared Balogun for the match and cited the competition rules while examining all available options.
“FIFA bases its decision on Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. This provision states that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may decide to suspend the enforcement of a previously imposed disciplinary sanction,” the RBFA said.
“However, Article 66.4 of the same FIFA Disciplinary Code clearly provides that a red card (sending-off) automatically results in a suspension for the team’s next match, as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during this FIFA World Cup.”It said the decision was in direct contradiction with the provisions of the tournament’s Regulations.
“As set out in Article 10.5: ‘If a player or team official is sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card (second caution), they will automatically be suspended from their team’s subsequent match,'” the RBFA added.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was permitted to play in his side’s opening World Cup matches after FIFA last year suspended the final two games of a three-match ban he received for being sent off in Portugal’s penultimate qualifying match against Ireland.
Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo received a five-match ban after a red card for a tackle that seriously injured Canada midfielder Ismael Kone during a group-stage match at the tournament.
Monday’s match will therefore unfold under the shadow of a ruling that has become one of the tournament’s defining disputes, and the argument over the reach of FIFA’s disciplinary powers is unlikely to fade when the final whistle sounds.
Writing by Ossian Shine, additional reporting by Rohith Nair in Miami, Sam Tobin and Dan Catchpole in Seattle, Toby Davis in Mexico City; Editing by Ed Osmond and Christian Radnedge
