Trump called Infantino three times before FIFA overturned US star’s red card
3 min readMumbaiJul 6, 2026 09:27 AM IST Donald Trump calls urging FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to review Folarin Balogun’s red card preceded the governing body’s extraordinary decision to lift the US striker’s suspension, as per multiple news reports. The decision prompted a celebratory post from the U.S. President and outrage from Belgium ahead of Monday’s World Cup round-of-16 clash. Trump intervened on behalf of Balogun, the Associated Press reported, and with the suspension now lifted, he will be allowed to face Belgium on Monday (Tuesday morning, IST). According to the Guardian, Trump made three phone calls to Infantino, starting last Wednesday. Balogun, the United States’ leading scorer with three goals at the tournament, was sent off for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Tarik Muharemovic during the Americans’ 2-0 round-of-32 victory on Wednesday, triggering an automatic one-game suspension. FIFA announced on Sunday that the suspension had been lifted for the round-of-16 match, an extraordinary decision that appeared to mark the first time since 1962 that a World Cup red card had not …







