Donald Trump confirmed Monday that he directly contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino seeking a review of the red card shown to USA striker Folarin Balogun, breaking his public silence on an intervention that has roiled international football's disciplinary process.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump insisted his involvement amounted to nothing more than a request for examination of the play. "All I did was ask for a review because I didn't think it was a foul," Trump said. "I didn't tell him what to do. I can't tell him what to do."
Balogun was sent off during the USA's 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina last Wednesday in the tournament's round of 32. The striker scored before his dismissal but then departed the field after what observers described as a collision between two players running at full speed. FIFA initially said the red card could not be appealed under its disciplinary code, yet the governing body reversed course Sunday and suspended the automatic one-match ban, clearing Balogun for continued play.
The timing of Trump's intervention is significant: sources indicated the president made three calls to FIFA beginning immediately after the match. This marks the first time Trump or the White House has publicly acknowledged the outreach.
Trump spent considerable time Monday defending his position on the play itself. He criticized Brazilian referee Raphael Claus's judgment, calling the official "very suspect" and describing the call as something "nobody could believe." Trump suggested observers review Claus's officiating record, though he offered no specifics.
"I've never seen anything like it," Trump said of the dismissal. "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. You can't take your foot and properly place it on somebody else's foot when you're going full speed."
Trump highlighted what he saw as an additional unfairness in the disciplinary outcome: the automatic suspension. "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."
The president also worked to shield Infantino from responsibility for the reversal. "I don't believe he made the decision," Trump said. "I think it was a committee that made the decision, and they made the right decision."
In a statement released after Trump spoke, Infantino confirmed receiving the presidential call but emphasized FIFA's independence. "Fifa's judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the Fifa Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them," Infantino said.
The episode has drawn sharp criticism from Belgium, which faces the USA Monday night in a quarterfinal matchup, and from former FIFA president Sepp Blatter. On social media, Blatter wrote that "red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies," adding that "Football must never become a playground for political power."
Trump's intervention also received public backing from Republican senator Ted Cruz, who thanked the president during Monday's Oval Office event, saying he had "gotten rid of that ridiculous red card."
Balogun, 25, is the USA's leading scorer at the tournament. His eligibility carries real stakes for the American team's chances moving forward, and his reinstatement means he will be available for selection in upcoming matches.
Author James Rodriguez: "A sitting US president directly lobbying FIFA to overturn a disciplinary decision raises uncomfortable questions about the sport's supposed independence that no statement about committee autonomy fully answers."
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