US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he personally asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the red card issued to Folarin Balogun during the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Speaking with reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump acknowledged holding a telephone conversation with Infantino regarding the incident. However, he emphasized that while he requested a review of the decision, he did not ask FIFA to overturn the sanction.

“I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul. All I did was ask for a review, I didn’t say you have to do this,” Trump said.

“That wasn’t even an infraction. That was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other.”

Balogun, the United States’ leading scorer at the tournament, was shown a red card in the 64th minute of the round-of-32 clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina after being adjudged to have committed a dangerous foul. The dismissal meant the 25-year-old striker was set to miss the Americans’ round-of-16 encounter against Belgium.

However, FIFA announced on Sunday that it had suspended Balogun’s automatic one-match ban for one year, a rare decision that cleared him to feature in Tuesday’s knockout fixture.

The ruling has sparked widespread criticism and renewed debate over FIFA’s disciplinary processes.

UEFA condemned the move, describing it as an “unjustifiable” decision that crossed a “red line.” The European football governing body warned that the verdict could set a troubling precedent with potentially damaging consequences for the World Cup and the sport as a whole.

The Belgian Football Association also criticized the decision, arguing that it appears to conflict with the provisions of the FIFA World Cup 2026 competition regulations. The federation said it is examining “all potential options” available to safeguard the integrity of the competition.

The controversy has continued to draw global attention, with critics questioning the implications of FIFA’s unprecedented intervention in Balogun’s suspension.