Donald Trump urged Fifa to rescind the one-match suspension of the US forward Folarin Balogun, imposed after a red card in the team’s victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, paving the way for Sunday’s stunning revelation that he would be eligible for the co‑hosts’ round‑of‑16 meeting with Belgium in Seattle on Monday evening.
Sources have informed this publication that Trump made three phone calls to Fifa, beginning on Wednesday, to ensure the change occurred.
The ruling offers the US a major lift on the pitch as they bid to reach the World Cup quarter‑finals for the first time since 2002. Balogun has been a persistent menace for the American side throughout the tournament, scoring three goals in three starts.
Fifa has been contacted for comment. The US president expressed gratitude to the global football authority for suspending the red card. “Thank you to Fifa for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
Fifa’s disciplinary panel stated it acted under Article 27 of its disciplinary code, which permits the suspension of red cards as long as the offence does not involve match‑fixing. Balogun will be placed on a one‑year probationary period, meaning the red card technically remains on his record. If during that year he commits what the code terms “another infringement of a similar nature and gravity”, the striker will serve his one‑game ban.
Folarin Balogun catches Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Tarik Muharemovic on the back of his ankle, resulting in a red card after review. Photograph: Jeff Chiu/AP
Fifa previously invoked Article 27 to allow Cristiano Ronaldo to feature in Portugal’s opening World Cup matches following his red card against the Republic of Ireland.
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said in a statement it was “astonished” by the decision. The RBFA later highlighted that suspending the ban contradicted Fifa regulations stipulating automatic one‑game suspensions for red cards. The RBFA said it was “investigating all potential options”.
Head coach Rudi Garcia likened Fifa’s ruling to an April Fools’ Day prank.
“I was unaware that 5 July equated to 1 April at Fifa,” Garcia remarked in his native French during a Sunday press conference. “I think we should look at the statement from my federation, the Belgian federation. It contains many important points. The federation is not defending itself or the national team — it is defending football in general. It defends its integrity and ethics.”
A US Soccer representative confirmed on Sunday that the federation was involved in the process that ultimately cleared Balogun for the last‑16 fixture.
Mauricio Pochettino commended Fifa’s action at a press briefing, reaffirming his opinion that the decision to show Balogun a red card was excessively severe.
“Anyone who truly loves football and believes in ethics and integrity, I think we all celebrate this decision,” Pochettino said. “We were already penalized enough against Bosnia and Herzegovina, having to play with 10 men for 30 minutes due to a completely unfair call. … 99.9% of people agree the red card was unjust.”
US players said they learned of Balogun’s availability while on the team bus en route to training.
“Some guys were playing Clash Royale, some were just in the back listening to music, and I think somewhere amid all that, we heard the reports,” defender Chris Richards said. “My family probably sent me eight different tweets. We weren’t sure — nobody told us ahead of time this was happening. With AI and everything, there can be doubts, but ultimately we found out through social media. It was just cool to finally get confirmation that it was real.”
Richards said about 10 minutes elapsed between the moment the US players first started receiving reports of Balogun’s availability and receiving official word from a US Soccer official by the time they disembarked for Sunday’s training — the final session before the crucial match against Belgium.
“He’s playing it really cool right now,” Richards said of Balogun’s reaction to the news. “We look to Flo to spearhead the front line, and he’s done that very effectively so far in the tournament, so we’re genuinely happy and excited that the decision has been overturned … clearly they saw something in the ruling that they felt needed changing.”
Richards, Christian Pulisic and Alex Freeman all said that Balogun’s suspension had prompted minor adjustments to the team’s preparations and training sessions ahead of the Belgium game, and that the squad had been ready to take the field without him.
“We accept the disciplinary committee’s ruling and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is available for selection tomorrow,” US Soccer said in a statement.
Balogun was sent off after a seemingly innocuous collision with Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic in a round‑of‑32 contest on Wednesday. No foul was initially given, but the video assistant referee recommended a review after seeing that Balogun had stepped on the defender’s ankle. Upon examining the incident, the referee issued a straight red card for serious foul play.
The decision stunned broadcasters and the US players and coaching staff, all of whom insisted the contact was accidental.
“It simply feels right,” Pulisic said regarding the lifting of Balogun’s ban. “Balo handled it with such composure, and I think the team did too. We weren’t here to complain or make a big deal out of it. When you deal with things properly, good things happen to people like that.”
Fifa and US Soccer officials had previously indicated that the automatic one‑match suspension accompanying a red card could not be appealed.
On Friday, Balogun described the experience as “surreal”. He was praised for his measured reaction to a dismissal widely seen as harsh.
“I never want to react out of anger or emotion,” Balogun said. “There are so many young kids, boys and girls, who look up to us and are watching, and we have to set an example of how to handle things the right way, even when it feels unjust.”
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