Trump reached out to Infantino and had Balogun reinstated for the ultimate comeback against Belgium

July 5, 2026

That's why Trump is so dangerous.

He never plays by the rules!

A major controversy regarding the 2026 World Cup arose on Sunday when it was revealed that President Trump personally intervened to have U.S. striker Folarin Balogun reinstated for the team’s round-of-16 game against Belgium after receiving a red card in the last round.

According to sources, Trump reached out to FIFA president Gianni Infantino last week, asking him to reconsider Balogun’s automatic one-game suspension and succeeded.

Trump expressed to Infantino that many were telling him the decision was incorrect, and Infantino assured him he would look into the issue. Subsequently, FIFA president Infantino called the U.S. president back, informing him that the suspension would be lifted, allowing Balogun to compete against Belgium on Monday, as reported by one of the sources.

Balogun, who is 25, was supposed to miss the critical match in Seattle after being controversially sent off for stepping on an opponent’s ankle during the Americans’ 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to standard tournament regulations, this resulted in an automatic ban, and U.S. Soccer along with FIFA officials had stated post-game that there were no options for an appeal.

The unexpected change, which is unprecedented in the recent history of the World Cup, sparked outrage regarding political interference and the integrity of the sport. Infantino had spent almost a decade leading up to the tournament building rapport with Trump, whom he considers a friend and has frequently hosted in the Oval Office.

“Thanks to FIFA for rectifying what was a significant injustice and reversing the decision!” President Trump posted on Truth Social.

The Belgian soccer federation expressed its “astonishment” at the reversal and stated that it was “exploring all possible avenues” ahead of Monday’s match.

“The decision contradicts the provisions laid out in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations,” the federation noted.

FIFA referenced a lesser-known clause, referred to as Article 27, which permitted its Disciplinary Committee to exercise discretion in suspending Balogun’s ban for up to 12 months. 

Despite the unusual nature of the ruling, the organization chose not to provide further details on its reasoning. The U.S. team, reportedly involved in the disciplinary review, learned around 7:30 a.m. Pacific time on Sunday that Balogun would be eligible to play.

This isn’t the first occasion World Cup organizers have utilized Article 27 to save a high-profile player from exclusion.

Last November, superstar Cristiano Ronaldo received a red card during Portugal’s penultimate qualifying match for intentionally elbowing an Irish player, which would have warranted a three-match ban and cost him two matches in the World Cup group stage. However, shortly after, FIFA's Disciplinary Committee modified his punishment to a one-year probationary period.

Now Balogun has received the same leniency.

Balogun had put the U.S. team ahead during their match against Bosnia with his third tournament goal. 

However, in the 64th minute, he received a red card following a video review that lasted several minutes. This meant the Americans had to finish the match with only ten players and face the prospect of going up against Belgium without him.

Immediately, American fans voiced their displeasure. Although Balogun had stepped on Tarik Muharemović’s leg, there was no indication that it was intentional.

“In my opinion, it should never have been a red card,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino stated. “It was a typical play in football that occurred accidentally. It wasn’t intentional.”

The decision felt especially severe when compared to a situation earlier in the tournament where Argentine star Lionel Messi committed a similar foul against an Algerian player and was not penalized.

While the short-handed Americans managed to secure their victory against Bosnia, Pochettino faced the challenging task of finding a substitute for his most effective player.

Then, just a day before they were set to compete for a spot in the quarterfinals, the tournament co-hosts found themselves benefiting from FIFA’s ultimate discretion.