Trump’s Call to FIFA President Infantino: Request to Review Balogun’s Suspension as U.S. Secures Its Star Striker

Original article: El telefonazo de Trump a Infantino: pidió revisar suspensión de Balogun y EE.UU. recupera a su goleador

Donald Trump made a direct call to Gianni Infantino, the president of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), just hours after the United States (U.S.) faced Bosnia and Herzegovina last Wednesday, to request a review of the suspension of Folarin Balogun, the top scorer for the U.S. national team during the World Cup, who received a red card during the match.

The U.S. president’s intervention, confirmed by four sources familiar with the conversation, triggered a series of moves that culminated on Sunday with the unusual revocation of the penalty and the announcement that Balogun could play on Monday against Belgium in the round of 16.

This revocation sets a precedent as it is the first time since 1962 that FIFA allows a player to participate in a match after having been suspended for a red card in an international competition. The decision from the governing body of world football generated shock and discontent, particularly from the Belgian federation, which expressed its «astonishment» and announced it is considering «all possible options» in light of what they see as a direct violation of regulations.

The relationship between Infantino and Trump, cultivated over the years, played a crucial role in this process, as noted by The New York Times. The FIFA president has sought to win over Trump with a series of actions, including last year’s establishment of the FIFA Peace Prize, awarded to the Republican mogul amid his unsuccessful public campaign for the Nobel Peace Prize. This closeness has already drawn criticism and even a complaint regarding ethics from the Norwegian federation, which accused Infantino of violating statutes on political neutrality.

Washington’s Machinery Activated Following Balogun’s Expulsion

The U.S. government machinery quickly mobilized after Balogun’s expulsion. Senior figures in the Trump administration, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House World Cup Task Force, hired lawyers to assist the U.S. Soccer Federation in filing an appeal, despite FIFA’s explicit prohibition of such appeals. The U.S. federation argued that the red card was unjustly given, asserting that referees should not have used slow-motion replays to determine the sanction, despite video review being a common practice.

A key element in the strategy was the intervention of Scott Goodwin, a hedge fund manager and one of the main donors to U.S. Soccer, who reportedly «brought public allegations» linking referee Raphael Claus to match-fixing in Brazil to the attention of Trump’s team. Although Brazilian authorities and FIFA found no evidence of irregularities, Trump raised these accusations during his call with Infantino, pressing for a review of the decision.

On Sunday, Infantino and Trump spoke again right after Balogun was reinstated, and the president told the FIFA chief that it was the right decision.

The Republican also reached out to U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino to wish him luck ahead of the match against Belgium. In his press conference, the coach stated that his team are not the «villains,» trying to distance themselves from the controversy.

FIFA justified its decision by invoking Article 27 of its regulations, suspending the automatic application of the sanction for a one-year probationary period, stipulating that if Balogun commits another similar infraction during this time, the suspension will be reimposed without prejudice to additional sanctions. However, the statement did not clarify why the American forward was exempted from the automatic suspension that other players expelled in the tournament have faced.

A memorandum prepared for the U.S. Soccer Federation by lawyers who have worked for Trump, which was accessed by The New York Times, suggested finding possible loopholes in the red card rules, arguing that FIFA’s disciplinary regulations were ambiguous enough to warrant an appeal. The document even proposed invoking the rights of the United States as a nation and threatening to escalate the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The federation’s decision directly benefits the United States, as Balogun is their main goal-scoring threat in their attempt to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in 24 years.

The White House confirmed the conversation between Trump and Infantino, stating that «the right and appropriate outcome was reached» following an independent review. The far-right leader celebrated the announcement on social media, thanking FIFA for «doing the right thing and reversing a great injustice.»