Trump defends call for Balogun red card review
Trump FIFA red card dispute raises questions about influence and fairness See how FIFA handled Balogun’s suspension reversal after Trump’s call
President Donald Trump defended calling FIFA president Gianni Infantino after a red card was issued to U.S. striker Folarin Balogun during a World Cup match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Trump said he asked for the incident to be reviewed because he did not think it was a foul. FIFA later reversed Balogun’s onegame suspension, allowing him to play in Monday night’s knockout match against Belgium in Seattle.
Infantino said the decision came through FIFA’s independent judicial process and said the organization’s bodies act autonomously. Trump denied directing the outcome and said he simply raised his concern about the call.