FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the decision to suspend United States striker Folarin Balogun’s red-card ban after President Donald Trump confirmed that he personally contacted the head of world football’s governing body and requested a review. The decision allowed Balogun to play in the United States’ FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against Belgium and triggered widespread criticism across the football world.

Balogun had been set to miss the knockout match after receiving a red card during the United States’ victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the previous round. However, FIFA announced on Sunday that the suspension would be put on hold, clearing the striker to face Belgium. FIFA also dismissed Belgium’s appeal against the decision as inadmissible, while the Belgian football association said it had not received an explanation regarding the matter.

Trump later confirmed that he had called Infantino because he did not believe Balogun’s challenge deserved a red card. The US President said he had only asked for the incident to be reviewed and had not demanded that FIFA reverse the decision. Infantino acknowledged receiving the call but insisted that FIFA’s disciplinary process was independent and that he had no authority to influence the judicial bodies handling the case.

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Infantino said he informed Trump that an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies would determine the outcome. He added that he sometimes agrees with disciplinary decisions and is occasionally surprised by them, but always respects the autonomy of the bodies responsible. The FIFA chief also said he regularly discusses World Cup matters with Trump and receives calls from political leaders, football officials and business executives worldwide.

The decision drew sharp criticism from UEFA, which said FIFA had crossed a red line and warned that football depends on consistent rules to maintain fair and transparent competition. Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said he initially thought the decision was an April Fool’s joke, while Norway coach Stale Solbakken described it as a major mistake. Jurgen Klopp also criticised the situation and said any direct arrangement between Trump and Infantino would call the integrity of the game into question.

Former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville described the decision as a stain on the World Cup and questioned the sequence of events following Trump’s call. The controversy intensified scrutiny of the relationship between Trump and Infantino, who has been a frequent visitor to the White House. Despite the criticism, Infantino maintained that FIFA’s judicial bodies acted independently and that he respected their decision to allow Balogun to play.

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