‘I didn’t think it was a foul’: Trump says he asked FIFA president for review of controversial red card
Trump Intervenes in Controversial Red Card Decision for Balogun
I didn t think it was - During the World Cup, a heated debate emerged over the red card and one-game ban imposed on U.S. soccer star Folarin Balogun. President Donald Trump took to the Oval Office on Monday to address the matter, claiming he had personally requested FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the decision. This intervention, he emphasized, was not an order but a simple inquiry into the circumstances of the incident.
According to Trump, the collision between Balogun and a Bosnian player was a "two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other." He stated, "I didn’t think it was a foul," and added that the US player "didn’t do anything wrong." These remarks marked the first detailed account of his conversation with Infantino, whom Trump has maintained a close relationship with.
“All I did was ask for a review. I didn’t say, ‘You have to do this,’” Trump explained, underscoring his belief in the referee’s integrity. “He didn’t do anything wrong.”
FIFA had previously announced Balogun’s eligibility to return for the Round of 16 match against Belgium, which drew scrutiny over the tournament’s fairness. The decision to suspend Balogun came after a video assistant referee highlighted the incident, showing the player’s spikes catching the ankle of his opponent. This footage, though, was presented in slow motion, a step outside standard protocol for World Cup reviews.
Trump questioned the referee’s judgment, suggesting the official was "a little bit suspect" and urging reporters to "check his past." His comments are expected to intensify the discussion about whether the red card was justified, especially since the initial on-field decision had not labeled the play as foul. The controversy has raised concerns about the consistency of disciplinary actions in the tournament.
FIFA’s Stance on the Matter
In a statement posted on X, Infantino confirmed the call with Trump but reiterated that the suspension of Balogun was a result of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s independent decision. "I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States," he said. "During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies."
“That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold,” Infantino added, emphasizing the autonomy of the disciplinary process.
Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House World Cup task force, told ESPN that the U.S. team immediately sought ways to appeal the suspension after Balogun’s ejection. He described the effort as focused on "correcting this injustice," not interfering with the committee’s authority. "We put our heads together," Giuliani recalled, "and kind of looked at it and said, ‘Well, there has to be a way to correct this injustice.’"
Reactions from the Soccer Community
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani had publicly criticized the red card decision, expressing disappointment on his "Morning Pitch" video stream. When a reporter noted his silence following FIFA’s reversal, he shared a meme of European manager Jose Mourinho, captioned: "I prefer really not to speak. If I speak — big trouble. Big trouble. I don’t want to be in big trouble."
A U.S. official informed CNN earlier that Trump’s goal was to "better understand the reason why a red card was given and why there was a suspension." While the president asserted to reporters that he "understand[s] sports really well," his actions have sparked further debate about the influence of political involvement in soccer officiating.