Seattle (USA): After drawing global attention over his handling of the Iran conflict in recent months, US President Donald Trump has now found himself at the centre of a fresh controversy—this time at the FIFA World Cup being hosted in the United States. Trump reportedly intervened to have American forward Folarin Balogun’s red card overturned, allowing him to return for the team’s next match.
Balogun has been the United States’ leading scorer in the tournament with three goals. He gave the hosts a 1-0 lead against Bosnia and Herzegovina with a strike in the 45th minute. However, after reviewing a challenge on VAR, the referee showed him a red card, reducing the United States to 10 men.
Despite playing with a numerical disadvantage, the US sealed a 2-0 victory thanks to Malik Tillman’s goal in the 82nd minute.
Trump Reportedly Called FIFA President
The US camp argued that Balogun’s challenge did not warrant a red card and that the punishment was excessively harsh. The dismissal automatically ruled him out of Tuesday’s Round of 16 clash against Belgium.
However, according to an AP report, President Donald Trump personally telephoned FIFA President Gianni Infantino and urged him to overturn Balogun’s red card. The suspension was subsequently lifted, making the American forward eligible to play against Belgium.
Players Learned the News on the Team Bus
The decision has triggered strong criticism from the Belgium camp, with the team reportedly preparing to challenge the ruling.
It is the first time since 1962—a span of 64 years—that a player shown a red card at a FIFA World Cup has not served the mandatory suspension for the following match.
The United States players reportedly learned about the reversal through social media while travelling by team bus from their hotel to the training ground in Washington on Sunday.
Defending the decision, American star Christian Pulisic said, “If you watch the replay of the Bosnia match, you’ll see that Balogun’s challenge was never serious. There was no malicious intent. We’ve seen far worse fouls in this tournament that didn’t even result in a card.”
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