President Donald Trump has confirmed he personally called FIFA President, Gianni Infantino to push for a review of the controversial red card handed to United States striker Folarin Balogun at the World Cup, an unusual intervention that has stirred controversy both on and off the pitch.

Balogun, a forward of Nigerian parentage born in New York who opted to represent the US at senior level, was sent off in the 64th minute of America’s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina after a VAR review flagged a challenge in which he appeared to land on an opponent’s ankle.

The red card automatically triggered a one-match ban that would have ruled him out of the US’s Round of 16 clash with Belgium. However, FIFA announced days later that the suspension had been deferred for a year, clearing Balogun to play against Belgium after all.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump defended his role in the reversal, insisting he simply asked for the decision to be reviewed rather than instructing FIFA on what to do. He described the coming-together between Balogun and his opponent as an accidental collision between two athletes running at full speed rather than a deliberate foul, and questioned the credibility of the referee who issued the card.

Trump also admitted he initially did not understand that a red card would keep Balogun out of the following match, saying he found it unfair to penalize a player for a game that had not yet been played.

Infantino, for his part, confirmed the call took place but stressed that FIFA’s disciplinary process is handled by independent judicial bodies that operate on their own authority, separate from any outside pressure. He noted that he regularly speaks with heads of state and football stakeholders on various matters and that the final decision rested with FIFA’s own committees rather than the White House.

The reversal has not gone down well everywhere. Belgium’s football federation reacted with astonishment, formally appealing FIFA’s decision and arguing it had received no proper explanation for why the suspension was lifted. European football’s governing body UEFA also criticised the move, calling the situation hard to understand.

The episode marks only the second time in World Cup history that a red-card suspension has been overturned to let a player feature in a subsequent match, with the last such precedent dating back to Brazil’s 1962 campaign.

The controversy comes at a moment when Trump and Infantino have cultivated an unusually close relationship, with the FIFA president having awarded Trump the organisation’s inaugural Peace Prize last year and Trump expected to take part in the World Cup final trophy presentation later this month.

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