World Cup: Trump thanks FIFA for suspending Balogun's ban

U.S. President Donald Trump publicly thanked FIFA for its decision to suspend the one-match ban of star striker Folarin Balogun, enabling him to play in the upcoming match against Belgium.

Balogun received a straight red card during the Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday. The card was issued after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervention for an incident where Balogun's studs were high on a defender's ankle. While Balogun's teammates and coach suggested the card was harsh and unintentional, FIFA rules typically mandate an automatic one-match suspension following a red card, a rule that cannot be appealed by the player's team.

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Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!

However, FIFA issued a statement Sunday night announcing that Balogun's one-match ban was "suspended for a probationary period of one year." The governing body provided no further details regarding the reasoning behind this decision. Balogun is currently the USA's leading scorer in the tournament with three goals, and his absence would have significantly impacted their chances of advancing to the quarter-finals.

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astonished

Trump, who has a known close relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, shared his gratitude on his Truth Social platform, calling the decision "reversing a great injustice." The White House also celebrated the move on social media. Reports from The Associated Press and The New York Times cited anonymous sources suggesting that the White House had contacted Infantino to review the red card.

Conversely, the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) expressed strong disapproval, calling FIFA's decision "astonishing" and a "direct contradiction" to the rules governing the 2026 World Cup. The RBFA stated it was "investigating all potential options" to protect fair play and the rights of participating teams. Belgium's coach, Rudi Garcia, sarcastically remarked at a press conference, "I didn't know that at the FIFA World Cup, the 5th of July is now the 1st of April, and that it's April Fool's Day."

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I didn't know that at the FIFA World Cup, the 5th of July is now the 1st of April, and that it's April Fool's Day.