Trump admits he lobbied Infantino to quash Balogun’s World Cup red card

Donald Trump has confirmed he personally telephoned Fifa president Gianni Infantino to request a review of the red card shown to USA and Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun, though the US president insisted he had not pressured football’s governing body into overturning the ban.

The revelation, made by Trump to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, has dragged Fifa’s disciplinary process into the political spotlight during the World Cup being co-hosted by the United States. It has also sparked fury from Belgium, who face the USA on Monday evening in a last-16 tie with a quarter-final place at stake.

According to the Guardian, Uefa issued a strongly worded statement accusing Fifa of crossing “a red line” and branding the decision to rescind Balogun’s automatic one-match suspension “incomprehensible and unjustifiable”, warning it undermined “the integrity of the game and the credibility of the competition”.

Balogun was dismissed during the USA’s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina last Wednesday in the last 32. Fifa suspended his automatic ban on Sunday, despite officials having previously stated that such sanctions could not be appealed under the governing body’s disciplinary code. The Guardian reports that sources say Trump made three calls to Fifa beginning on the day of the sending-off in an attempt to secure the reversal.

Trump: ‘That wasn’t a foul’

Speaking to reporters, Trump was adamant the challenge should never have resulted in a red card. “All I did was ask for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul,” he said. “I didn’t tell him what to do. I can’t tell him what to do.”

He went further in his description of the incident: “That wasn’t a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction. That was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other. You can’t take your foot and properly place it on somebody else’s foot when you’re going full speed. These were two great athletes that got tangled up.”

Trump also took aim at the match official, Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, describing him as “very suspect” and saying he had made “a call that nobody could believe”. He suggested journalists look into the referee’s record without offering further detail.

The president said he had not initially realised a straight red card carried an automatic ban for the following fixture. “It’s one thing to penalise somebody for the game,” he said. “But how do you penalise them for a game that hasn’t been played yet? It’s very unfair.”

On the prospect of Belgium progressing at USA’s expense, Trump added: “We’re going to have a full team, and Belgium is going to have a full team, and you know what? If they beat us, then they can be really proud. The other way, if they beat us … I say it was rigged, just like the election was rigged in 2020.”

Infantino distances himself from ruling

Trump attempted to separate Infantino personally from the outcome, saying: “I don’t believe he made the decision. I think it was a committee that made the decision, and they made the right decision because, number one, it wasn’t a foul.”

Infantino subsequently confirmed the call had taken place but stressed the independence of Fifa’s judicial process. “Fifa’s judicial bodies are independent,” he said. “They operate autonomously, apply the Fifa disciplinary code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them.” He added that while he sometimes agreed and sometimes disagreed with disciplinary rulings, he always respected the process.

Read more: UEFA slams FIFA’s ‘incomprehensible’ U-turn over Balogun red card at World Cup

The row has intensified scrutiny of Fifa’s handling of disciplinary matters during the tournament, with Belgium and Uefa both questioning whether political influence played a role in a decision that directly affects Monday night’s knockout tie.