United States President, Donald Trump and US striker Folarin Balogun
A major controversy has erupted at the FIFA World Cup after football’s governing body overturned the suspension of United States striker Folarin Balogun, reportedly following a direct appeal from US President Donald Trump.
According to The New York Times, Trump contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino shortly after Balogun was sent off in the USA’s 2-0 victory over Bosnia in the Round of 32, urging him to review the decision.
Balogun received a straight red card on Wednesday after inadvertently stepping on Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic. Under FIFA regulations, a straight red card carries an automatic one-match suspension that cannot ordinarily be appealed by the player’s national team, ruling him out of the USA’s Round of 16 clash against Belgium.
However, in an unexpected move on Sunday, FIFA suspended the ban for one year, effectively making Balogun eligible to feature against Belgium.
The decision has sparked widespread debate, with The New York Times, citing three unnamed sources familiar with the matter, reporting that Trump’s intervention played a key role in prompting FIFA to revisit the case.
Reacting to the development, Trump praised football’s governing body on social media, thanking FIFA for “reversing a great injustice.”
The decision has not gone down well in Belgium, whose football association said it was “astonished” by FIFA’s move to lift the suspension just hours before the knockout encounter.
FIFA has not publicly stated whether Trump’s call influenced its decision, but the timing of the reversal has intensified scrutiny over the governing body’s handling of disciplinary matters.
Balogun is now free to play for the United States in Monday’s crucial World Cup Round of 16 fixture against Belgium.
Source: AFP
