FIFA has suspended Folarin Balogun’s automatic one-match ban, clearing the United States striker to face Belgium in the World Cup Round of 16, after US President Donald Trump confirmed he personally asked football’s governing body to review the dismissal.
The Monaco forward received a straight red card during the USA’s 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32. The dismissal came following a challenge on Sassuolo defender Tarik Muharemovic that triggered an automatic suspension under tournament regulations.
Political intervention
Trump publicly acknowledged on Monday that he contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino to dispute the decision. Speaking to reporters, he stated: “All I did was ask for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul. I didn’t tell him what to do. I can’t tell him what to do.”
Sources indicate Trump made three calls to FIFA beginning on the day of the match. The president insisted the challenge was not worthy of dismissal, describing the incident as “two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other” rather than a deliberate foul.
Infantino confirmed receiving the call but sought to distance himself from the final ruling. “Fifa’s judicial bodies are independent,” he said. “They operate autonomously, apply the Fifa disciplinary code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them.”
European backlash
The reversal has provoked outrage among European football authorities. UEFA issued a statement accusing FIFA of crossing “a red line” and making an “incomprehensible and unjustifiable” decision that undermines “the integrity of the game and the credibility of the competition”.
Giovanni Malagò, president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), also launched a scathing attack. Citing reports that the decision followed the Trump-Infantino conversation, he told Radio Anch’Io lo Sport that the ruling was “absurd” and “politically flavoured”.
Malagò warned that the suspension of the ban under Article 27 of FIFA’s disciplinary code sets a “dangerous precedent”. He argued that such intervention threatens the meritocracy that forms the foundation of the sport, adding that widespread application of such discretionary powers would cause chaos in domestic leagues.
Probationary reinstatement
FIFA has lifted Balogun’s ban for a 12-month probationary period, meaning the striker will be available for Monday’s knockout fixture against Belgium. The governing body cited Article 27, which grants its judicial committee authority to suspend disciplinary measures, though it provided no further detailed reasoning for the specific exemption.
The controversy marks an early test for Malagò, who recently succeeded Gabriele Gravina as FIGC president following Italy’s failure to qualify for the tournament. While the reprieve provides a significant boost to the United States’ attacking options, the circumstances surrounding the reinstatement continue to generate debate about the autonomy of football’s disciplinary processes.