United States President Donald Trump has confirmed that he requested FIFA to review the controversial red card shown to U.S. striker Folarin Balogun but denied claims that he pressured football authorities to overturn the suspension.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said he believed the referee made the wrong decision, describing the incident involving Balogun as an accidental collision rather than a foul deserving of a red card.
According to the U.S. president, the challenge did not amount to a serious offence and should not have resulted in the dismissal of one of the team’s key players.
Trump also questioned the referee’s judgment, suggesting the decision was difficult to justify based on what he witnessed during the match.
The incident occurred during the Round of 32 encounter between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where referee Raphael Claus sent off Balogun following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.
Although Trump criticized the officiating, he insisted that he did not instruct FIFA President Gianni Infantino to reverse the decision, explaining that he merely requested a review of the incident.
He added that the eventual decision to suspend Balogun’s ban was made by an independent FIFA committee, which he said acted to preserve fairness in the competition.
FIFA’s reported decision to invoke Article 27 to suspend the player’s ban for one year has generated widespread debate within the football community.
UEFA has reportedly criticized the move, arguing that it could undermine the authority of match officials, while several analysts warned that such interventions could create a precedent for political influence in football decisions.
Meanwhile, the Belgian Football Association has formally challenged the ruling ahead of its knockout fixture against the United States, expressing concerns over the circumstances surrounding the decision.
