Donald Trump Admits Asking FIFA to Review Balogun's Suspension

U.S. President Donald Trump revealed he intervened in the case of Folarin Balogun's red card suspension, urging FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the decision. Trump asserted that the incident was not a foul and that Balogun, whom he described as the team's best player, was unjustly penalized.

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I spoke with Infantino about Balogun's red card situation. I'm a sports enthusiast and I understand sports very well. It wasn't a foul. It wasn't even a violation of the rules. It was just two guys running at full speed and accidentally colliding.

"I spoke with Infantino about Balogun's red card situation. I'm a sports enthusiast and I understand sports very well. It wasn't a foul. It wasn't even a violation of the rules. It was just two guys running at full speed and accidentally colliding," Trump stated. He added, "You can't take your foot and consciously place it on someone else's foot at that speed. If you investigate the referee's history, it's a bit questionable. Balogun is our best player. He received a red card with a decision no one could believe."

Trump expressed his disbelief upon learning the suspension meant Balogun would miss the next match, calling it "so unfair." He questioned the logic of punishing a player for a future game they haven't played yet. "This is so unjust, you can't do that. So yes, I asked FIFA to review it," he said.

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You can't take your foot and consciously place it on someone else's foot at that speed. If you investigate the referee's history, it's a bit questionable. Balogun is our best player. He received a red card with a decision no one could believe.

Describing Infantino as "a smart guy" who has done "a really great job," Trump emphasized that the best players should be on the field. "The best players should all be on the field, you can't just take them off the field like that. People want to watch games for them. Messi, Ronaldo, or Kane... You can't tell these players, 'You bumped into someone, we're taking you out of the game.' If you were to eject them from the match, I think you would have cast a real shadow over this incredible championship. That's why Balogun should also be on the field. Belgium also has a great team. Similarly, their best players should be on the field."

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This is so unjust, you can't do that. So yes, I asked FIFA to review it.

Folarin Balogun received a direct red card for a foul on Tarik Muharemovic during the U.S. match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on July 1. FIFA's Disciplinary Committee subsequently postponed his one-year suspension. Trump had publicly thanked FIFA on social media for "doing the right thing and overturning a great injustice." However, the Belgian Football Association expressed "astonishment" at the decision, stating it contradicts Article 66.4 of FIFA's disciplinary code and potentially undermines fair play principles.

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The best players should all be on the field, you can't just take them off the field like that. People want to watch games for them. Messi, Ronaldo, or Kane... You can't tell these players, 'You bumped into someone, we're taking you out of the game.' If you were to eject them from the match, I think you would have cast a real shadow over this incredible championship. That's why Balogun should also be on the field. Belgium also has a great team. Similarly, their best players should be on the field.