Folarin Balogun's Suspension Lifted by FIFA After Trump Call to Infantino, Belgium Protests Ahead of USA Clash
FIFA has cleared USA striker Folarin Balogun to play in Monday's Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle, reversing an automatic one-game ban days after President Trump reportedly phoned FIFA president Gianni Infantino about the case. The Royal Belgian Football Association says it is "astonished" and is exploring its options.
From a Stepped-On Ankle to a Political Storm
The saga began last Wednesday, when Balogun was sent off in the 64th minute of the USA's 2-0 Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Referee Raphael Claus initially waved play on after Balogun and Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemović tangled going for the ball, but a VAR review flagged that Balogun's studs had come down on Muharemović's ankle. Claus was sent to the pitchside monitor and, after viewing the replay, showed a straight red card. Under the tournament's own regulations, a straight red card carries an automatic one-match ban with no right of appeal — the same standard applied to every other sending-off at this World Cup.
That should have ended Balogun's involvement in Monday's last-16 game at Lumen Field in Seattle. Instead, on Sunday, July 5, FIFA's Disciplinary Committee announced it would suspend the enforcement of the ban for a one-year probationary period, clearing the USMNT's leading scorer — he has three goals so far in the tournament — to start against Belgium. FIFA's ruling did not erase the red card itself; instead, the federation said that if Balogun commits "another infringement of a similar nature and gravity" within the year, the suspension would be reinstated retroactively, according to the FIFA statement cited by ESPN and other outlets.
Trump's Call to Infantino
What turned a refereeing controversy into an international story was the reported involvement of President Donald Trump. According to CNBC and a White House source cited by the Associated Press, Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino last Thursday to ask about the reasoning behind the red card and the resulting suspension. Reports from CNN indicate the U.S. government also passed along additional video evidence that was reportedly factored into FIFA's review, though FIFA has not detailed exactly how that material influenced the Disciplinary Committee's decision.
Trump celebrated the outcome on Truth Social, reportedly writing: "Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!" Infantino, for his part, has cultivated a visibly warm relationship with the U.S. president throughout the tournament; at a recent award ceremony he told Trump, according to multiple reports, that he "deserve[d] the first FIFA Peace Prize" and that the president could "always count... on the support of the entire... soccer community." Neither FIFA nor the White House has released a full, on-the-record account of what was said during the actual phone call, and the precise legal basis FIFA used to justify treating Balogun's case differently from every other red card of the tournament remains a point of dispute.
For more on how the knockout rounds have shaped up so far, see our Day 25 results recap, published the day before this controversy broke.
Belgium Fires Back: "We Are Defending Football"
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) reacted with fury, releasing a statement describing itself as "astonished" by FIFA's ruling and confirming it is "exploring all potential options" in response — language widely read as the first step toward a formal protest or appeal. The federation argues, according to reporting from ESPN and other outlets, that FIFA's decision rests on Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which allows the Disciplinary Committee to suspend enforcement of a previously imposed sanction. Belgium counters that this directly conflicts with Article 66.4 of the same code, which states that a sending-off automatically triggers suspension for the following match, and with Article 10.5 of the 2026 World Cup Competition Regulations, which likewise mandates automatic suspension after any straight red card or second yellow — the exact rule applied to every other player sent off in this tournament.
Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia did not hide his frustration at a pre-match news conference, reportedly saying: "I didn't know that at the World Cup, the 5th of July is actually the first of April — it's April Fools'." Garcia insisted the objection isn't about gaining a competitive edge over one opponent: "We're not defending the national team or federation," he said. "We are defending football." Belgium is expected to go into Monday's match at Lumen Field still formally weighing further action even as kickoff approaches.
What's Next
As of Monday, July 6, FIFA has not indicated it will reverse its own reversal, and Balogun is listed as available for the 5 p.m. PT kickoff against Belgium. The RBFA has stopped short of confirming whether it will file a formal protest with FIFA's appeal bodies or pursue the matter through the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and it is unclear whether any such action could realistically be resolved before the match is played. The episode has also reignited broader scrutiny of Infantino's relationship with the Trump administration throughout this tournament, with commentators — including a CNN analysis published Monday — questioning what precedent a politically-linked disciplinary reversal sets for future World Cups. For now, the on-field story is a heavyweight Round of 16 rematch of the 2014 World Cup meeting between these two sides, with Balogun's reinstatement adding a layer of controversy neither team wanted heading into the biggest game of their tournament so far.
Frequently Asked Questions
Balogun received a straight red card in the 64th minute of the USA's 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina after a VAR review found he had stepped on defender Tarik Muharemović's ankle. Under World Cup rules, a straight red card carries an automatic one-match ban.
FIFA's Disciplinary Committee cited Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which allows it to suspend enforcement of a sanction for a probationary period — in this case, one year. Belgium argues this contradicts Article 66.4 of the same code and Article 10.5 of the tournament regulations, both of which call for automatic suspensions after red cards.
It is reported by CNN, CNBC, and several other outlets, citing sources familiar with the call, that President Trump phoned Infantino to discuss the red card before FIFA's reversal. FIFA has not publicly confirmed a direct causal link between the call and its ruling, and the outlets characterize the connection as reported rather than officially acknowledged.