Trump says he asked FIFA president to review red card shown to US striker

US President Donald Trump speaks about the "Trump Accounts" savings product at a luncheon in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday. [EPA]

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US President Donald Trump said Monday (local time) that he had personally contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review of the red card shown to US striker Folarin Balogun of AS Monaco, amid controversy over the reversal of Balogun's one-game suspension from the CONCACAF World Cup.

Speaking to reporters at a White House event launching the "Trump Accounts" savings product, Trump confirmed he had spoken with Infantino after a reporter asked him to explain his call with the FIFA president regarding the red card. "Yes, I spoke with Gianni," he said.

Trump argued that the incident did not warrant a red card. "It wasn't a foul. It wasn't even a serious violation," he said. "Two players running at full speed accidentally collided with each other." He added that no player could deliberately place a foot on another's foot while running at pace, insisting Balogun's action was unintentional.

US striker Folarin Balogun of AS Monaco speaks to reporters before a World Cup training session at Husky Soccer Stadium in Seattle, Washington, on Thursday (local time). [AFP]

Balogun, widely regarded as the US team's top scorer, received a red card during the United States' round-of-32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Bay Area Stadium in San Francisco on Thursday (local time), after he stepped on an opponent's ankle during play. The sending-off had been set to bar him from the round-of-16 match against Belgium on Monday.

FIFA, however, notified the US Soccer Federation on Monday that the one-game suspension handed to Balogun would be suspended for one year, effectively allowing him to play.

The reversal drew sharp criticism after reports emerged that Trump had spoken with Infantino before the decision, with many questioning whether FIFA had compromised its impartiality under pressure from the US president.

Trump cast doubt on the referee who issued the red card. "If you look at his past record, it's a little suspicious. I don't want to talk about it because I don't want to create controversy," he said. "But it's really suspicious. I can give you his past record if you want. He made a call that nobody could believe."

Trump said he had been alarmed when he learned Balogun would miss the next match. "When I heard he couldn't play in the next game, I thought, 'Oh my God, this is a big deal,'" he said. "It's really unfair to take away the best player on the team, or one of the best, and say he can't play. So I asked FIFA to take another look."

He was careful to frame his intervention as limited. "All I did was ask for a review," Trump said, adding that he felt it would be "terrible" and "a big black mark" if one of the best players were kept off the field. "I didn't tell him what to do," he said, referring to Infantino. "It wasn't him who made the decision — a committee did, and I think it was the right decision."

Asked whether his involvement could set a precedent for political interference in soccer, Trump said he was not sure. "All I can say is I had nothing to do with it. I just said it should be reviewed and that the player did nothing wrong," he said.

On Belgium's objections to Balogun's reinstatement ahead of their round-of-16 clash with the United States, Trump said: "If they beat us, I'll be very proud of them. But if they beat us under those circumstances" — meaning with Balogun suspended — "I'd say it was rigged, just like the 2020 presidential election."

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