Why FIFA’s Balogun red card suspension after Trump call is so controversial

Published 6 July 2026 · sports

FIFA’s decision has led to a furore in the football world, and accusations that the body bent its rules to please Trump. The World Cup

FIFA’s decision has led to a furore in the football world, and accusations that the body bent its rules to please Trump. The World Cup campaign of the USA football team took an extraordinary turn on Sunday when FIFA seemingly broke with its own rules to allow star player Folarin Balogun to face Belgium in Monday’s last 16 clash – despite receiving a red card in the Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday. The global football body announced that it had suspended the red card — which had meant an automatic one-match ban — after United States President Donald Trump urged FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to review the case. Balogun, who plays his club football for Monaco in France, has scored three goals for the cohosts at this World Cup and is the team’s leading scorer in the tournament. The FIFA decision prompted criticism from Belgium’s football association, Europe’s top football body, a former FIFA boss, multiple top former players and many others. Critics argued that overturning a red card suspension after direct political intervention undermined the integrity of the tournament and set a dangerous precedent. On Monday evening, the Belgian football association also accused FIFA of effectively killing any chance for it to challenge the global sports body’s decision. Here is a closer look at what happened and why it has set off such a storm Why did Balogun receive the red card? Balogun received the red card for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia in a 2-0 win for the USA in their round-of-32 match, triggering an automatic one-game suspension. The 25-year-old was sent off after a video assistant referee (VAR) review, with USA coach Mauricio Pochettino saying it was never a red card offence. Fans and commentators were divided on the original red card. While some felt it was justified, others argued that Balogun was off‑balance and made accidental contact rather than a deliberate stamp. On Friday, Balogun said he thought a yellow card instead of red “would have been fair”. Ultimately, Trump intervened on his behalf, and his red-card suspension was lifted in a decision that now allows him to play in a World Cup match against Belgium on Monday. FIFA relied on Article 27 of disciplinary committee rules to reverse the ban. “The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure,” the rule states. “By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years.” The US Soccer Federation (USSF) did not make Balogun available for comment on Sunday, but the player posted a picture of himself in front of fans and overlaid with music from Michael Jackson’s pop single Bad on social media.