Fifa President Gianni Infantino acknowledged receiving a call from US President Donald Trump before US forward Folarin Balogun was cleared to play against Belgium in the World Cup quarter-finals on July 6, 2026. Balogun had been issued a red card during the US match against Bosnia-Herzegovina the previous week, which initially resulted in a suspension for the Belgium game.

Following the match with Bosnia, Trump contacted Infantino to plead for the red card decision to be overturned. Subsequently, Fifa lifted Balogun's suspension on Sunday. The Belgian football federation challenged this ruling, but a Fifa appeal judge dismissed Belgium’s legal challenge less than eight hours before the match in Seattle.

Fifa stated that the Belgian football body “is not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision.” It remains unclear whether Belgium can pursue an appeal with the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport, which is prepared to handle urgent World Cup cases.

The decision has drawn criticism from European football leaders, with the European football body Uefa calling it an “incomprehensible” breach of football’s rule of law. Trump has acknowledged his call to Infantino and taken credit for prompting the review of Balogun’s red card.

This episode has raised questions about the integrity of Fifa and the World Cup amid ongoing disputes.

Sources