Claim: FIFA retracted U.S. forward Folarin Balogun’s automatic one-match World Cup suspension following a personal call from President Donald Trump to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Only a few days remain in this year’s FIFA tournament, but it has already produced its fair share of headlines. One of the biggest talking points came during the United States’ match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, July 1, when American forward Folarin Balogun was shown a straight red card after awkwardly stepping on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemović.

Under FIFA regulations, the dismissal carried an automatic one-match suspension. However, just days after the match, which America won 2-0, reports surfaced claiming the suspension had been lifted. According to PBS News, an anonymous source familiar with the situation told the outlet that President Donald Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the match and requested a review of Balogun’s red card.

But did that really happen? Here’s what we found.

Our Verdict: Partially True

Trump’s involvement in the controversy first became public on Sunday, July 5, when he thanked FIFA for “reversing a great injustice.” Shortly afterward, the White House’s official X account amplified the message by posting “USA-USA-USA” alongside an image of a bald eagle.

According to a report from the Guardian, on Monday, July 6, Donald Trump said that he personally asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the red card. 

“All I did was ask for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I didn’t tell him what to do. I can’t tell him what to do.”

Trump argued throughout his remarks that Folarin Balogun should never have been sent off, insisting the incident was simply an accidental collision between two players.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Trump said, adding that his background as a sports fan and former athlete gave him confidence in his assessment. “That wasn’t a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction. That was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other. You can’t take your foot and properly place it on somebody else’s foot when you’re going full speed. These were two great athletes that got tangled up.”

Trump added that his opinion would have been different had Balogun committed a clear act of misconduct. “If he punched him in the face, if he did something wrong, I’d feel differently.”

Trump also said he wanted both teams at full strength, arguing that any result should come without controversy.

“We’re going to have a full team, and Belgium is going to have a full team, and you know what? If they beat us, then they can be really proud. The other way, if they beat us … I say it was rigged, just like the election was rigged in 2020.”

The US president criticized Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, calling him “very suspect” and claiming he had made “a call that nobody could believe.” He also urged reporters to examine the official’s record but did not elaborate further.

Trump said he was unaware until after the match that a straight red card automatically resulted in a suspension, questioning the fairness of the rule.

“It’s one thing to penalize somebody for the game,” he said. “But how do you penalize them for a game that hasn’t been played yet? It’s very unfair.”

He argued Balogun’s suspension would have hurt the tournament and welcomed FIFA’s decision to reinstate the striker.

“We’ve got to have our best players, and they have to have their best,” Trump said. “If we win or we lose, it’s fair.”

Trump also sought to absolve FIFA president Gianni Infantino of responsibility, saying he believed the decision had been made by a committee rather than Infantino himself.

“I don’t believe he made the decision,” Trump said. “I think it was a committee that made the decision, and they made the right decision because, number one, it wasn’t a foul.”

Following Trump’s comments, Infantino released a statement confirming he had spoken to the US president but stressed that the matter had been handled independently by FIFA’s disciplinary bodies.

“FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent,” Infantino said. “They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA disciplinary code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them.”

He acknowledged that he did not always agree with disciplinary rulings but emphasized that he “always” respected the independence of the judicial panels responsible for making them.

FIFA issued a 13-point statement defending its handling of the case, rejecting suggestions that Donald Trump had influenced the outcome. The governing body fined Balogun $40,000 for entering the field to celebrate with his teammates after the US victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina despite having been sent off. 

Explaining its decision, FIFA cited Article 27 of its disciplinary code.

“Under Article 27 of the [FIFA Disciplinary Code], the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has the discretion to suspend the implementation of any disciplinary measures so long as they do not relate to match manipulation – which, of course, did not occur here,” the statement read. “Said suspension of the implementation was decided considering all of the specific circumstances surrounding the incident and evidence available.”

FIFA had also announced that Balogun’s suspension would be lifted under a 12-month probationary period, describing the move as being permitted under Article 27, which allows its judicial committee to “fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”

UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) strongly criticized the decision, accusing FIFA of disregarding its own regulations for political reasons.

“Football, like any other sport, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition,” the statement read. “Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not …

“When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake, and the credibility of a competition is undermined. We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision.”

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) also expressed its “astonishment” over the ruling, with national team manager Rudi Garcia likening it to an April Fools’ Day joke. However, FIFA’s appeals committee dismissed Belgium’s appeal, saying the federation was “not a party to proceedings.”

Our fact-checking source:

• PBS News, July 5, 2026. AP report: FIFA lifts U.S. player Balogun’s red card suspension at World Cup after Trump calls Infantino
• CNBC, July 5, 2026. U.S. loses to Belgium 4-1; Balogun plays after Trump calls FIFA
• Truth Social, July 5, 2026. Donald Trump’s post
• X (Formerly Twitter), July 5, 2026. White House’s tweet
• Los Angeles Times, July 6, 2026. Will Folarin Balogun play? Belgium protest triggers FIFA appeal hearing on game day
• The Guardian,  July 6, 2026. Trump confirms he asked Infantino for review of Folarin Balogun red card