FIFA’s decision to lift the suspension imposed on U.S. forward Folarin Balogun, following a call from U.S. President Donald Trump, has sparked a controversy that, for confederations such as UEFA, calls into question the “integrity and credibility” of the World Cup.
“When the certainty of the rules is no longer guaranteed by their guardians, the integrity of the game is called into question and the credibility of a competition is undermined,” UEFA states in a strongly worded statement in which it describes FIFA’s decision as “unprecedented, incomprehensible, and unjustifiable.”
FIFA Defends the Independence of Its Decision Regarding Balogun
This measure came after U.S. President Donald Trump intervened; as he himself acknowledged, he called FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
To request a review of the suspension imposed on Balogun, which prevented the player from participating in Monday’s Round of 16 match between the U.S. team and Belgium.
“I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul, and, you know, I’ll say it again, I’m good at this kind of thing.”
“I didn’t think it was a foul; I thought it was just two great athletes who collided and got tangled up—it wasn’t a guy hitting someone in the face or anything like that,” Trump said.
A call that was later confirmed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, although, as the head of world soccer insisted, the decision to lift the suspension against Folarin Balogun was an “independent” resolution by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee (Filed under: Donald Trump called FIFA).
Infantino Confirms Trump’s Call
Trump: “I saw the play. It wasn’t even a foul, and that referee is suspicious. He made an inexplicable decision. Balogun is our best player, and he showed him a red card. That’s why I asked FIFA to review it.”
Shocking. Terrible. Embarrassing. https://t.co/90iG8BYeun pic.twitter.com/aNTVdZA574
— Albert Ortega (@AlbertOrtegaES1) July 6, 2026
“Yes, I regularly discuss World Cup-related matters with the U.S. president, and yes, I received a call from President Donald Trump.”
“Just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, soccer stakeholders, and business executives from around the world on a wide range of issues,” Infantino said.
This move will prompt the Belgian Football Association (RBFA) to contest the match if Balogun—the U.S. team’s leading scorer in the tournament with three goals—ends up playing in the match scheduled for Monday in Seattle.
“At this time, the RBFA has not yet received any decision or explanation from FIFA regarding this matter.”
“Therefore, it has no choice but to challenge the player’s eligibility for the next match,” announced the Belgian Federation (Filed under: Donald Trump called FIFA).
i'm good at these things
Donald Trump
Pochettino Welcomes FIFA’s Decision
Trump: “I didn’t call Infantino to have Balogun’s suspension against Belgium lifted. I just asked for a review. Infantino is a very smart and tough guy. I think we need to have the best players on the field.” https://t.co/90iG8BYeun pic.twitter.com/OG6nPefFdN
— Albert Ortega (@AlbertOrtegaES1) July 6, 2026
That seems more than likely, given the reaction of the U.S. national team coach, Argentine Mauricio Pochettino, who described FIFA’s decision to overturn the red card Folarin Balogun received against Bosnia and Herzegovina as “more than fair.”
“The decision is fair, because it was never a red card.”
“There is a mistake, and the penalty is too severe for a team—and, above all, for an unintentional action.”
“It seems to me that everyone has said so. 99.9 percent of people in soccer have said it was an unfair penalty,” Pochettino said.
This stance contrasts with that of the Belgian coach, Frenchman Rudi García, who, upon learning of FIFA’s decision, sarcastically asked if “it was April Fools’ Day.”
“It’s not that we’re defending our national team or our federation; we’re defending the integrity of soccer.”
“This is the first time in World Cup history that a decision of this nature has been made” (Filed under: Donald Trump called FIFA).
With information from EFE
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