President Donald Trump has sparked international outrage after reports confirmed he intervened in the World Cup.
It began after Team USA superstar Folarin Balogun was handed a red card in the second half of the July 1 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina after clashing with an opposing player’s foot. As a result, he was ejected from the game and given a one-game suspension. At the time, FIFA said that the referee’s call was final and could not be overturned or appealed.
“I think the choice of the referee was, of course, his choice, but I don’t think it was the correct call. I think a yellow card would have been fair, just due to it not being intentional,” Balogun told reporters on Friday.
However, by Sunday, Belugin was back in the lineup for Team USA’s game against Belgium on Monday after it was announced that the implementation of the red card issued to Balogun would be suspended for a probationary period of one year.
The president thanked FIFA on Sunday for “doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice”–and according to reports, his involvement went far beyond a simple social media post.
Trump’s Truth Social post prompted speculation of interference because of his close relationship with FIFA President Gianni Infantino—who invented the FIFA Peace Prize just to award it to Trump last year—and because of how rare it is for a red card to be rescinded at the World Cup, having happened only once before in 1962.
Sports broadcaster Ben Jacobs subsequently reported that the White House made a direct call to Infantino asking FIFA to review Balogun’s red card. Jacobs’ reporting was corroborated by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and ABC News, all of whom cited sources familiar with the matter who confirmed that Trump personally called Infantino and asked him to review Balogun’s suspension last week.
The Journal reported that Trump told Infantino that “everyone was telling him the decision was wrong,” prompting Infantino to assure the president that he would look into the matter. He later called Trump back and told him the suspension would be reversed, which the U.S. president reportedly said was the right decision.
When requesting comment from the White House, an unnamed U.S. official told the Daily Beast through its press account that Trump and Infantino did speak because the president wanted to understand why the red card was issued and why there was a suspension. The official noted that the appeal process is run by an independent board.
The New York Times also reported that senior Trump officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House task force on the World Cup, engaged lawyers and directed them to assist the U.S. Soccer Federation in filing an appeal, despite FIFA not permitting appeals in such cases.
The U.S. official added that the government provided additional evidence that was used in the appeal process.
“Ultimately, the correct and proper outcome was achieved,” the official said.
As a result of the stunning reversal, Balogun, the team’s top goal scorer and the first American player to score multiple goals in a single World Cup match in 96 years, will now be eligible to play in Monday’s match against Belgium.
While the USMNT accepted the ruling and said it was “pleased” that Balogun would be eligible to play against Belgium, the Royal Belgian Football Association said it was “astonished” by the decision in a statement released on Sunday.
The statement cites the FIFA Disciplinary Code, noting that the code clearly states that a red card automatically results in a suspension for the next game, “as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during this FIFA World Cup.”
The RBFA also argues that the reversal contradicts the provisions of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations, which affirm that red cards result in automatic suspensions.
“In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options,” the statement reads.
Commentators were also quick to see the scandal brewing, with Piers Morgan arguing that “this will be the biggest story, and potential scandal, of the World Cup.”
The Daily Beast has contacted FIFA for comment.
