'Made right decision': Trump confirms he asked FIFA to review Balogun decision
US President Donald Trump said he personally asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the red card and one-match suspension handed to Team USA striker Folarin Balogun, a move that has sparked major controversy at the FIFA World Cup, according to CNN.
EditionININUSGCCEnglishEnglishहिन्दीमराठीಕನ್ನಡதமிழ்বাংলাമലയാളംతెలుగుગુજરાતીWeatherSign InTOIToday's ePaperLive EditionININUSGCCEnglishEnglishहिन्दीमराठीಕನ್ನಡதமிழ்বাংলাമലയാളംతెలుగుગુજરાતીWeatherSign In TOIToday's ePaperLive NewsSports NewsFootball'Made the right decision': Donald Trump confirms he asked FIFA to review Folarin Balogun decisionTrendingPrithvi ShawNovak DjokovicThomas TuchelErling Haaland CelebrationJay ShahFIFA Red CardMajor league CricketIngrid AlexandraDasun ShanakaIndian Super LeaguePrithvi ShawNovak DjokovicThomas TuchelErling Haaland CelebrationJay ShahFIFA Red CardMajor league CricketIngrid AlexandraDasun ShanakaIndian Super LeaguePrithvi ShawNovak DjokovicThomas TuchelErling Haaland CelebrationJay ShahFIFA Red CardMajor league CricketIngrid AlexandraDasun ShanakaIndian Super League'Made the right decision': Donald Trump confirms he asked FIFA to review Folarin Balogun decisionTOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Updated: Jul 06, 2026, 20:30 ISTCommentsShareAA+Text SizeSmallMediumLarge Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino (AP Photo) NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump said he personally asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the red card and one-match suspension handed to Team USA striker Folarin Balogun, a move that has sparked major controversy at the FIFA World Cup, according to CNN.FIFA later announced that Balogun would be eligible to play in the Round of 16 clash against Belgium after lifting his suspension, a decision that triggered political debate and raised questions over the integrity of the tournament.
Watch FIFA World Cup Rigged? Trump’s ‘Dirty’ Tricks Exposed Amid Balogun Red Card Row | Details“All I did was ask for a review. I didn’t say, ‘You have to do this,’” Trump said from the Oval Office, as quoted by CNN, adding that he “didn’t think it was a foul.”
“I didn’t tell him what to do, I can’t tell him what to do,” he said, adding that an independent committee “made the right decision.”Balogun, the American top-scored in the tournament with three goals, received a red card for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia-Herzegovina in a 2-0 round of 32 win on Wednesday, triggering an automatic one-game suspension.FIFA announced Sunday that the suspension had been lifted for the round of 16 match, an extraordinary move that triggered praise from Trump and outrage from Belgium's team.
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump later said in a statement on social media.The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was “astonished,” and Belgium coach Rudi Garcia mocked FIFA's action.
“I didn't know that in the offices of FIFA the fifth of July was the first of April in Europe,” Garcia said through a translator in an April Fools' Day comparison. “The Belgian federation does not defend itself, it does not protect the national team. She defends football in general, she defends her integrity, her ethics.
I think it's the first time in the history of the World Cup that there is this kind of decision.”FIFA said its decision relied on Article 27 of disciplinary committee rules.“The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure,” the rule states.
“By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years.”Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
About the AuthorTOI Sports DeskAt TOI Sports Desk, reporters work around the clock to bring you comprehensive updates from the world of sports. Expect nuanced match reports, previews, and reviews, along with statistics-based technical analysis, the latest social media trends, and expert insights across cricket, football, tennis, badminton, hockey, motorsports, wrestling, boxing, shooting, athletics, and more.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosRam Mandir Trust Chief Demands Strict Action As Donation Probe Intensifies FurtherIran Terms India's Attendance At Khamenei Funeral 'Deeply Valued Gesture', Sends Formal GratitudeWedding, Car, Cash Gifts: Ram Temple Donation 'Theft' Accused's Rs 19 Lakh Spending TrailMajor Landslide Hits Mumbai-Pune's 'Missing Link'; Flooding And Diversions Trigger Long Traffic JamsCongress Vows Fierce Fight Against Bill To Remove Ministers After 30 Days In CustodyAAP MP Sanjay Singh Targets VHP Chief Over Ram Mandir Probe, Demands Wider InvestigationGymkhana Club Challenges Eviction Notice, Delhi High Court Issues Notice To Centre | WatchIndia-Israel Bilateral Investment Pact: How The New BIA Will Impact Trade & InvestmentNIA Names LeT Chief Hafiz Saeed As Accused In Pahalgam Attack Supplementary ChargesheetWhy Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Is Engaging With PM Modi Despite Remaining BJP's Biggest Critic123International SportsTaylor Swift’s retired English and PE teachers penned heartfelt wish for Travis Kelce and her: “surrounded by concentric circles of
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