President Donald Trump said Monday he personally called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review of a red card given to U.S. striker Folarin Balogun [1].
The intervention by a head of state into a sporting disciplinary matter is rare and raises questions about the independence of international soccer's governing body.
Trump said he contacted Infantino because he believed the red card was not justified. The incident resulted in a one-game suspension for Balogun [4]. "I didn't think it was a foul," Trump said [1].
Trump said he asked for a review of the call to determine if the ban should be suspended [2]. He described the original red-card decision as "horrible," but said he left the final outcome to FIFA [2].
In a separate statement, Trump said, "I asked for a review" [3]. While some reports indicate the organization reversed its decision following the call [1], other accounts state Trump requested the review without confirming a direct causal link to the reversal [2].
Balogun has since been cleared to play in the United States' round-of-16 match against Belgium [3]. The match follows the controversy over the initial disciplinary action taken by officials in Zurich [2].
“"I didn't think it was a foul."”
This event marks a highly unusual intersection of geopolitical power and professional sports officiating. While FIFA maintains a protocol for reviewing disciplinary actions, a direct request from a U.S. president to the FIFA president suggests a level of diplomatic pressure that could challenge the perceived neutrality of the tournament's officiating and the autonomy of the refereeing body.
