Trump says he sought FIFA review of Balogun red card

President Donald Trump on Monday defended a call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino after the soccer body suspended a one-game World Cup ban on U.S. Men’s National Team striker Folarin Balogun. The decision makes Balogun eligible for Monday night’s knockout match against Belgium in Seattle, a potentially material change for the U.S. squad’s attacking options.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he had asked for the incident to be examined again because he disagreed with the referee’s decision during last week’s U.S. victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump said, referring to the red card shown to Balogun. “I didn’t know what the hell a red card was,” he added.

The red card removed Balogun from that match and triggered a suspension that would have kept the 25-year-old out of the Belgium game. FIFA on Sunday suspended the ban, allowing him to be available for the knockout fixture.

Call to FIFA draws scrutiny

Trump said he did not direct Infantino to reach a particular outcome. “I didn’t tell him what to do. I can’t tell him what to do,” Trump said of the FIFA president. “And I don’t believe he made the decision.”

The episode has placed unusual political attention on a disciplinary ruling at the World Cup, where FIFA’s handling of suspensions can affect team selection and competitive balance. In this case, the contested card carried consequences beyond the match in which it was issued because it barred Balogun from the next U.S. game until FIFA suspended that penalty.

Trump framed the review as a matter of sporting fairness. He said that if the suspension had remained in place for the Belgium match, “This game would have a big mark on it, if we lost or if we won.”

“If they beat us, then they could be really proud,” Trump said of Belgium.

FIFA’s reversal gives the U.S. team access to Balogun for a win-or-exit match in Seattle. The soccer body’s decision has been described as controversial, and CNBC reported that Belgium was set to appeal after FIFA reversed Balogun’s World Cup suspension following Trump’s reported intervention.

Balogun’s availability now shifts the immediate focus back to the field. The U.S. enters Monday night’s match with the disciplinary cloud over one of its forwards at least temporarily lifted, while FIFA’s handling of the review is likely to remain under scrutiny as the tournament moves through the knockout stage.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.