Nicolai Haugsted
Trump’s World Cup controversy explodes as FIFA hit with “corrupt” accusations
Politics and football collided in spectacular fashion ahead of the United States’ World Cup knockout clash with Belgium after FIFA made an extraordinary disciplinary decision that immediately sparked controversy across the sport.
Hours before kickoff, American striker Folarin Balogun was cleared to play despite receiving a straight red card in the previous round, following a review that reportedly came after U.S. President Donald Trump personally urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to reconsider the punishment.
FIFA pauses the suspension
Balogun had been sent off during the United States’ 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina after VAR judged that his challenge on Tarik Muharemovic warranted a red card.
Under normal tournament rules, the dismissal would automatically rule him out of the next match.
Instead, FIFA announced that the suspension itself—not the red card—would be placed on hold under Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, meaning Balogun would remain eligible while serving a one-year probationary period.
“In line with Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year.”
Should Balogun commit a similar offence during that period, the suspended ban would immediately be activated in addition to any new disciplinary sanction.
Trump’s involvement fuels criticism
According to a source briefed on the matter, Trump personally contacted Infantino and requested that FIFA review the decision.
The president later celebrated the outcome on Truth Social, while the White House also applauded Balogun’s return to the squad on social media.
Inside the U.S. camp, players reportedly only learned of the ruling while traveling to training before Monday’s match in Seattle.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino defended the outcome, arguing that football had seen comparable disciplinary suspensions before and insisting the original sending-off never merited a red card.
“I think 99.9% of people in football have said this is an unfair punishment,” the coach said according to Reuters.
Belgium questions FIFA’s authority
Belgium’s football federation reacted with disbelief, arguing that FIFA’s decision directly contradicts the tournament regulations governing automatic suspensions following red cards.
Officials pointed to multiple articles within FIFA’s own rulebook, claiming the governing body had effectively overridden a mandatory punishment without sufficient justification.
England manager Thomas Tuchel also questioned the process. Although he agreed Balogun should not have been sent off in the first place, he argued that overturning a disciplinary consequence after the decision had already been made raises uncomfortable questions about consistency.
Meanwhile, FIFA declined repeated requests for comment regarding both the decision and Trump’s reported conversation with Infantino.
Fans accuse FIFA of favoritism
Away from the official statements, the backlash spread rapidly across social media.
Supporters from around the world criticized the governing body’s handling of the situation, with many describing the ruling as “corrupt,” “distasteful,” and accusing FIFA of effectively “putting a thumb on the scale” ahead of one of the tournament’s biggest knockout matches.
The controversy has now overshadowed much of the sporting build-up to the United States’ meeting with Belgium, transforming what should have been a discussion about tactics and team selection into a broader debate about political influence, sporting independence and the limits of FIFA’s disciplinary powers.
“Who overturns this decision then and when? And on what grounds? … This is strange for me… Where does this start and where does this end?”
