REPORT: President Trump Called FIFA President to Get U.S. Player’s Suspension Reversed

In a historic reversal, FIFA has overturned the controversial, one-game suspension of Folarin Balogun, the U.S. team’s top scorer.

As it turns out, President Trump played a big role in getting Balogun’s suspension reversed.

According to new reports, he personally called up FIFA President Gianni Infantino to get him to review the suspension.

Not only that, but President Trump also assembled a team of lawyers from outside the government to challenge the red card.

Outkick founder Clay Travis confirmed:

Sources: President Trump, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, and White House task force head Andrew Giuliani put together a team of elite lawyers — from outside the government — to challenge the Flo Balogun red card. Specifically they challenged the use of slow motion instant…

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) July 5, 2026

Sources: President Trump, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, and White House task force head Andrew Giuliani put together a team of elite lawyers — from outside the government — to challenge the Flo Balogun red card. Specifically they challenged the use of slow motion instant replay to give the red card, which they argued violated FIFA rules. The president also conveyed to Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president, that the appeal had been filed and he believed the red card penalty was excessive. FIFA’s independent committee reviewed the decision and agreed the penalty was incorrectly given, rescinding it under their rule 27 authority.

This is a huge deal!

It’s the first time in over 60 years that FIFA has altered their decision after handing out such a penalty to a World Cup player.

The New York Times reported further:

President Trump called Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, in the hours after the United States men’s soccer team played Wednesday and asked him to review the suspension of the team’s top goal scorer in the World Cup, Folarin Balogun, after he was given a red card, according to four people familiar with the conversation.

On Sunday, FIFA reversed the suspension, announcing that Mr. Balogun would be eligible to play Monday against Belgium.

The reversal is highly unusual and is the first time since 1962 that FIFA has allowed a player to appear in a game when they would have been suspended after being sent off in the World Cup. Mr. Infantino has spent years trying to curry favor with Mr. Trump. Last year, FIFA created and gave Mr. Trump the FIFA Peace Prize amid the president’s public, but failed, campaign to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Shortly after Mr. Balogun’s red card, senior Trump administration officials, including Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, and Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House task force on the World Cup, engaged lawyers to help the U.S. Soccer Federation try to appeal, despite FIFA’s rules against such appeals, according to two of the people familiar with the call.

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U.S. Soccer officials argued the red card was improperly given to Mr. Balogun because the officials should not have used slow-motion video replay in determining the penalty, the people said. Use of video replays is common practice, and players have frequently been ejected after reviews.

Scott Goodwin, a hedge fund manager and major donor to U.S. Soccer, brought to the attention of Trump officials public accusations that Raphael Claus, the referee, was involved in match fixing in Brazil by giving out irregular red cards. Brazilian authorities and FIFA have found no evidence of wrongdoing by Mr. Claus, but Mr. Trump brought up those allegations in his call with Mr. Infantino, the people familiar with the call said. Mr. Goodwin referred comment to U.S. Soccer. Mr. Claus did not initially call a foul on Mr. Balogun but was asked to review his decision by other officials tasked with monitoring replays. That group hailed from Venezuela, Colombia and France.

On Sunday, Mr. Infantino and Mr. Trump spoke again right after Mr. Balogun was reinstated, and the president told Mr. Infantino that it was the right decision, the people said. Mr. Trump also called Mauricio Pochettino, the U.S. coach, and wished him luck in the game against Belgium on Monday. Mr. Pochettino told reporters at a news conference on Sunday that his team was “not the bad guys.”

This came after Balogun was ejected during the second half of the game against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday.

Many people believe he was wrongfully and unfairly given a red card for a foul after he accidentally stepped down on an opponent’s ankle.

For some context, here’s some footage of the incident that led to Balogun’s suspension:

NEW: President Trump personally called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask him to review the suspension of U.S. player Folarin Balogun, according to the NYT.

Balogun was given a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday and was suspended for the next game.

FIFA… pic.twitter.com/svJl6f4N3g

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 5, 2026

NEW: President Trump personally called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask him to review the suspension of U.S. player Folarin Balogun, according to the NYT.

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Balogun was given a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday and was suspended for the next game.

FIFA has now announced that Balogun will be eligible to play on Monday against Belgium.

“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right and reversing a great injustice,” President Trump said on Truth Social.

Good. Everyone knows that call was ridiculous.

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After being given the red card, Balogun was ordered to sit out Monday’s game against Belgium — until President Trump stepped in and set things right!

Leave it to President Trump to restore fairness and justice!

The Trump card always wins, after all…

Watch this hilarious clip:

LOL!!! “Nah bro I have the Trump card, I win.”

Trump card always wins! pic.twitter.com/gGTlmDm0wH

— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) July 5, 2026

The only folks who aren’t too happy about this is the Belgian federation, who are fuming.

CNBC shared a partial statement:

The Belgian Royal Football Association said in a statement it was “astonished” by FIFA’s about-face on Balogun’s suspension, and argued it flouts FIFA’s written rules.

“The RBFA is investigating all potential options,” the association said.