Donald Trump confirms he asked FIFA to review Folarin Balogun's World Cup suspension

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he personally asked FIFA to review the one-match suspension handed to United States striker Folarin Balogun during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Balogun had been due to miss the United States' last-16 clash against Belgium after receiving a straight red card for a challenge on Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic in the previous round. However, FIFA later suspended the automatic one-match ban for 12 months, making the striker available for selection.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said he believed the original red card decision was incorrect and described the incident as "two great athletes who crashed into each other and got entangled". He added that enforcing the suspension would have left "a big stain" on the tournament.

Trump confirmed he had spoken with FIFA president Gianni Infantino to request a review of the decision but insisted he did not instruct football's governing body to overturn the suspension. He said the final decision was made by FIFA's disciplinary commission and praised the outcome.

The decision has sparked controversy across the football world. The Royal Belgian Football Association said it was "astonished" that Balogun had been cleared to play and raised concerns about the fairness and integrity of the tournament. Belgian officials said they would continue to challenge the ruling in defence of sporting ethics.

England manager Thomas Tuchel also questioned the decision, warning that it could set a dangerous precedent. He said football needed clear guidelines on when disciplinary decisions should be reviewed and whether similar appeals would now become common.

UEFA also expressed concern, reportedly describing the intervention as crossing "a red line". Historically, players shown straight red cards at the World Cup have almost always served automatic suspensions, making Balogun's case highly unusual.

The controversy has become one of the biggest talking points of the 2026 World Cup, with debate continuing over the balance between correcting perceived refereeing mistakes and protecting the integrity of the competition.