FIFA chief defends decision after Trump intervenes in Balogun red card row

FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed on Monday that American forward Folarin Balogun is eligible to play in the Round of 16 match against Belgium. The decision follows a call between Infantino and former US president Donald Trump regarding the red card shown to Balogun. The suspension imposed on Balogun after his dismissal was converted by FIFA into a conditional sanction, allowing the American to feature against Belgium. The Belgian football association had lodged an appeal against the ruling, but this was dismissed by FIFA. Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, stated he had only asked for the decision to be reviewed, arguing the tackle on Bosnian player Tarik Muharemovic did not constitute a foul. “I asked only that the decision be reconsidered because I did not think it was a foul,” he said. The former US president also questioned the impartiality of Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, who issued the red card. “He is a little suspect, if you look at his background,” Trump remarked, without specifying his concerns. “He made a decision that nobody could believe. Even the opponents said they were lucky.”

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Trump added that he initially did not fully understand what a red card meant, later clarifying that it results in missing the next match. “That is very unfair. He did nothing wrong,” he said of Balogun’s challenge. “He is our best or one of our best players. That’s why I asked FIFA to take another look.” Infantino responded via a statement on FIFA’s official social media channels. “I would like to reiterate a fundamental principle of FIFA governance: the judicial bodies of FIFA are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts at hand,” he wrote.

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“Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected,” Infantino added. He noted that he regularly discusses World Cup matters with Trump, as he does with heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business leaders worldwide. “During our conversation I explained that there was an ongoing legal process concerning the independent judicial bodies of FIFA and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how the FIFA system works, and that is a principle I will always uphold,” Infantino said. “Sometimes I agree with decisions, sometimes I do not. What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that take them. Whether we personally like a decision or not is irrelevant. Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of FIFA at all times.”