Gianni Infantino talks about Donald Trump's call about Folarin Balogun's red card ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 Ro16 clash

Folarin Balogun’s suspension has been lifted.

Folarin Balogun received a red card during the USA’s 2-0 victory in the 2026 FIFA World Cup over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 after he awkwardly stepped on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemovic. Speculations and arguments from the exact moment. While a few stated that the decision was correct, others claimed that a red card was too harsh.

Soon, US President Donald Trump decided to intervene in the matter, and now the ban on the American forward has been lifted, making him eligible to play in the round-of-16 clash against Belgium on Monday. According to the reports, FIFA relied on Article 27 of the disciplinary committee rules to reverse the ban. The rule claims:

“The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure. By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years.”

Folarin Balogun has not spoken about the whole thing; however, he’s likely to be named in the starting line-up of the co-host against the Red Devils at the Seattle Stadium in Washington.

Nevertheless, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has been one of the leading figures on that topic, has also recently opened up about his stance on lifting the ban.

Also Read: Clubs with most players playing in FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16

FIFA president Gianni Infantino talks about Donald Trump’s call about Folarin Balogun’s red card

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has opened up about his stance on Folarin Balogun’s red card. Infantino has claimed that all the bodies under FIFA operate independently. He claimed that while he often discusses matters related to the tournament with Donald Trump, he also received a call from the US president about the whole prospect of the red card.

“FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected.”

“Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues.”

Gianni Infantino has claimed he was not directly involved in lifting the ban on Folarin Balogun. Rather, the decision was made by the other disciplinary committees under FIFA that function independently.

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