President Donald Trump's phone call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino has triggered one of the biggest controversies of the 2026 World Cup, after soccer's governing body suspended a red-card ban against U.S. striker Folarin Balogun just days after it was issued, clearing him to play Belgium in the Round of 16 on July 6.
Balogun, the tournament co-hosts' leading scorer, was sent off in the 64th minute of the USA's win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1 after a video review found he had stepped on the back of a Bosnian defender's leg. Under FIFA's rules, a straight red card automatically triggers a one-match ban that cannot be appealed by the player's own team.
Days later, FIFA's Disciplinary Committee announced it was suspending that ban for a one-year probationary period rather than enforcing it, citing Article 27 of its disciplinary code, a general provision letting judicial bodies convert a sanction into probation. The effect was the same as clearing him outright: Balogun was free to face Belgium.
Trump confirmed Monday that he had called Infantino about the case. "All I did was ask for a review," he told reporters in the Oval Office, according to CNN, adding, "I didn't say, 'You have to do this.'" He argued the play was not a deliberate foul but "two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other," and said letting the ban stand would have left "a big stain" on the tournament. He later posted on Truth Social, thanking FIFA for "reversing a great injustice."
Trump: The game tonight is gonna be amazing. If they beat us we'll say it was rigged just like the election in 2020 pic.twitter.com/HKWd31owUn
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) July 6, 2026
Infantino, in a statement responding to the backlash, confirmed the call took place but said he told Trump the case would be "decided in due course by the competent bodies". The same answer, he said, he gives any official who phones him about a disciplinary matter.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino:
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) July 6, 2026
“I have seen the public comments regarding the decision of the independent FIFA Disciplinary Committee related to the suspension of Folarin Balogun, and I would like to reiterate a fundamental principle of FIFA’s governance.
“FIFA’s judicial… pic.twitter.com/FzeWuMQIXf
The reversal has drawn sharp condemnation from European soccer's governing body. UEFA said FIFA had "crossed a red line," calling the decision "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable."
UEFA statement on the Balogun case: ⬇️https://t.co/9LQDx8waKe
— UEFA (@UEFA) July 6, 2026
Belgium's football federation, whose team now faces Balogun, said it was "astonished" by a ruling it argues contradicts FIFA's own suspension rules and has formally challenged his eligibility for Monday's match. Belgium coach Rudi Garcia mocked the timing, joking to reporters that he hadn't realized July 5 was April Fools' Day, according to Al Jazeera. FIFA responded to Belgium saying Falogun could play.
Former England internationals have also weighed in. Wayne Rooney called the decision an "absolute disgrace" and said Infantino "should be ashamed," while fellow pundit Gary Neville said the ruling "absolutely stinks" and called for a formal review process, both told the BBC and ITV respectively.
Belgium's Socialist party said in a statement that "when money calls the shots, the World Cup loses all credibility." Belgian MEP Yvan Verougstraete asked why a red card only becomes "unjust" once Trump gets involved, adding that FIFA "must defend fairness, not give the impression of yielding to political pressures," according to Euronews. Social media reaction has been fierce, with some users calling it the biggest scandal in World Cup history and others urging a boycott of Monday's match.
This is the first time since 1962 a World Cup red card hasn't resulted in a suspension, and the second time in history.
Hours later of the reversal annoucement, England's Jarell Quansah picked up his own red card against Mexico, prompting Labour MP Noah Law to write to Infantino asking FIFA to delay Quansah's ban until after the tournament on the grounds of consistency with the Balogun precedent.
🚨🏴 NEW: Labour MP Noah Law has asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to delay Jarell Quansah’s red card suspension until after the World Cup pic.twitter.com/NQJ2Nn1URm
— Politics Global (@PolitlcsGlobal) July 6, 2026
Then France entered the fray, formally appealing to FIFA to rescind a yellow card shown to Michael Olise during France's win over Paraguay, a booking that leaves him one caution from missing a potential semifinal. French officials insist their case is unrelated to Balogun's, but the timing, arriving within days of FIFA's reversal, has made it impossible to separate from the wider debate over whether FIFA is now applying its disciplinary rules unevenly.
