U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed to reporters Monday morning that he contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino regarding the red card handed out to American player Folarin Balogun in the U.S. match against Bosnia and Herzegovina last Wednesday.
Trump also said he had not pressured FIFA to overturn the call.
“I didn’t tell them what to do,” he said. “I can’t tell them what to do.”
He also added that “I didn’t know what the hell a red card is, when I found out I said, ‘you’ve got to be kidding.'”
FIFA has since dismissed an appeal from the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) regarding the reversal.
“The FIFA Appeal Committee has rendered a request submitted by the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) as inadmissible,” FIFA said in a statement.
“The request was rendered inadmissible on the grounds that the RBFA is not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision.”
Balogun was sent off directly for planting his cleated foot on the ankle of Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic during a 2-0 win for the U.S. in the round of 32.
That kind of challenge has been a routine red card all season in competitions worldwide, and some cases in the past have resulted in a two-game ban for serious foul play.
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However, similar challenges by star players have gone unpunished at this World Cup — by Lionel Messi for Argentina against Algeria and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi against Brazil. Bernardo Silva of Portugal got just a yellow card for a similar conduct against Congo.
“I think a yellow card would have been fair,” Balogun later suggested.
Trump also suggested that the same decision making would be valid to the game’s superstars under similar circumstances.
Why is FIFA under fire for the reversal?
European soccer body UEFA criticizing FIFA for an “incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision” to let Balogun play against Belgium on Monday.
UEFA, whose member federations include Belgium, insisted: “Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not.”
“When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined,” said the European soccer body, which has often clashed with Infantino during his decade in power.
“It is a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions, let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension.”
The RBFA said it was “astonished” by FIFA’s decision in a statement released Monday.
“The RBFA has still not received any decision or any explanation from FIFA regarding this matter,” the statement reads. “It therefore has no alternative but to challenge the player’s eligibility for the upcoming match.”
“Regardless of the sporting outcome of this match, the RBFA is deeply concerned by the course of events and will continue to fight in the coming hours, days and months in defense of the fundamental principles of ethics, fair competition, and the interests of football as a whole.”
Former FIFA president Joseph Blatter also posted to X, saying that “red cards are not overturned by political phone calls.”
Norway coach Ståle Solbakken also said Sunday after his team beat Brazil to reach the quarterfinals that “it’s a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad decision that will hurt the World Cup.”
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. EST at Lumen Field in Seattle.
- With files from the Associated Press
I had to intervene here, the US team kept calling to fill in for Balogun on Monday and I have stuff to do.
Many people don’t know I am a world class soccer player, some say I could have been bigger than Ronaldo.
They still call me Donaldo.
I don’t even like soccer and think it is a pussy sport, but I am one of the best.
The US team will be fine with Balogun playing and it wouldn’t be fair if I played because the Secret Service would be on the field with me.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
-DJT
It’s a disgraceful decision and a stain on the name of FIFA. FIFA president should resign.
Ben you’re starting to get embarrassing with so many moronic comments
FIFA Pres and Trump, two of the most corrupt beings on the planet. Americans, biggest sore losers around.
Trump is a sore loser which has been proven many many times
“Sports builds character…” LOL
I guess if you are the USA, you rig soccer like the republicans rig elections with gerrymandering and money. That’s not winning, that’s not sportmanship, and that’s not fair minded.
Kick FIFA out of Canada & keep the other Felon out Too! Corrupt bunch of idiots!
FIFA is the most corrupt organization in the world. Take a minute to look who’s running it to figure that one out.
I usually stay away from all things Trump but this decision to suspend the red card for the American player, if indeed it was influenced by a call from Trump, puts the credibility of FIFA in disrepute and goes to show that FIFA will fold under pressure from a country’s leader. So what happens when the games are held in countries that have real despotic dictators, such as China or many African countries. A red line has clearly been crossed and it should mean the end of FIFA as a credible organization.
I don’t blame Trump in this decision I blame FIFA. This is more proof how FIFA can be bought and influenced by anyone for the right price whether it be money or something else. If this happens then all red cards should be suspended especially the one that England got yesterday because the rules had changed before that card was issued. Said before and say it again FIFA is useless and all about the money.
So what about the English player who got a red card yesterday for a slide tackle? This sets a terrible precident but then we’ve all known that FIFA is as corrupt as you can get.
“20 bucks is 20 bucks.” – FIFA
So now Trump changes FIFA rules !! OMG. And FIFA bends!
Ok Trump is openly bragging he intervened yet some of his cult still try to pretend this is just left wing propaganda – sad little people. He defaults to cheating on everything – in his DNA to the core.
So the game really is rigged then. Sad.
Its like listening in on a psyche ward filled with children.
This is not news. It is whiny bitches.
Sandy, he literally said he intervened. What a joke!
How big was the bribe…..
Guess we know the outcome of the World Cup!!!!!!!
Trump always cheats. Always.
Ha, now we know . . . the fix is in. This level of corruption in FIFA is surely unprecedented. A notoriously corrupt politician gets FIFA to bend over and submit. I’m done watching any more FIFA events.
FIFA is intent on proving that this World Cup is just a sham and not a serious tournament
@Sandy… Nice try
Fact Checked
The Core Event
Verdict: VERIFIED
Trump’s Intervention & Truth Social Post
Verdict: VERIFIED
Stomping a guy with cleats isn’t a red card now?
Corruption in FIFA.
Donald Trump made the call Sandy.
Why are you a liar?
Only problem is Trump didn’t get involved. It is just the wild imaginations of the left wing media that has visions of Trump’s involvement