Sepp Blatter Reacts After FIFA's Red Card U-Turn For Folarin Balogun Creates Massive Controversy
The football world has reacted strongly to US forward Folarin Balogun's red-card suspension being revoked
The football world has reacted strongly to US forward Folarin Balogun's red-card suspension being revoked. According to a report by the Associated Press, US President Donald Trump intervened on behalf of star US forward Folarin Balogun, whose red-card suspension was lifted in a decision that allows him to play in a World Cup match against Belgium on Monday. Balogun, the American leader with three goals in the tournament, received a red card for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a 2-0 Round of 32 win on Wednesday, triggering an automatic one-match suspension.
FIFA announced on Sunday that the suspension had been lifted for the Round of 16 match, an extraordinary move that triggered praise from Trump and outrage from Belgium's team. It appeared to be the first time since 1962 that a red card during a World Cup did not result in a suspension.
Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the game, asking FIFA to review the red card, according to a person familiar with the call who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly about the matter.
"Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right and reversing a great injustice!" Trump said in a statement on social media.
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter reacted to the issue. "Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies. If a U.S. President intervenes with the FIFA President - and a player is suddenly cleared before a World Cup knockout match - the question is unavoidable: Quo vadis, FIFA?" he wrote on X.
"Football must never become a playground for political power. #FIFA #WorldCup #GianniInfantino #DonaldTrump"
Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies. If a U.S. President intervenes with the FIFA President — and a player is suddenly cleared before a World Cup knockout match — the question is unavoidable: Quo…
— Joseph S Blatter (@SeppBlatter) July 6, 2026
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was "astonished", and Belgium coach Rudi Garcia mocked FIFA's action.
"I didn't know that in the offices of FIFA the fifth of July was the first of April in Europe," Garcia said through a translator, referring to April Fools' Day. "The Belgian federation is not defending itself, nor is it protecting the national team. It is defending football in general; it is defending its integrity and its ethics. I think it's the first time in the history of the World Cup that there has been this kind of decision."
Garcia would not respond when asked about a possible appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport or whether he thought Trump had influenced FIFA's decision.
"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 Belgian federation said in a statement.
American players learned of Balogun's availability when social media posts started appearing during the 10-minute bus ride on Sunday morning from their hotel to training at the University of Washington's Husky Soccer Stadium, where they were greeted by Dubs II, the university's Alaskan Malamute.
Balogun's red card had been one of the World Cup's most controversial and consequential decisions. Brazilian referee Raphael Claus did not initially show a card but sent Balogun off after a video review.
"If you look at the foul, there was absolutely no intent," U.S. star Christian Pulisic said. "I felt like there were much worse ones in this tournament."
The U.S. Soccer Federation learned of FIFA's action through a message sent via FIFA's portal at 10:31 a.m. EDT.
"The implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year," FIFA announced. "If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be reinstated and enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement."
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino applauded FIFA's move.
"We were punished enough against Bosnia and Herzegovina to play with 10 men for 30 minutes in a decision that was completely unfair," he said.
Pochettino, who played for Argentina at the 2002 World Cup, was not surprised that Trump decided to call Infantino.
"I come from a culture - Argentina and Europe - where football is a religion, perhaps even more than religion itself," he said. "If we keep moving forward and pushing on, maybe one step further tomorrow, you will see that sport is magic. Sport is amazing, it is so powerful, it unites people and unites a country like ours."
England coach Thomas Tuchel wondered whether more decisions could now be challenged, citing possible yellow cards shown to England's Declan Rice and France's Michael Olise.
"We can now debate endlessly: I think it's not a yellow card," he said. "Where does this end? Where does it stop?"
Balogun's three goals have included a go-ahead strike against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He matched Landon Donovan's tally from the 2010 World Cup for the second-most goals by an American in a single World Cup, behind only Bert Patenaude's four goals in the inaugural tournament in 1930.
The 25-year-old Monaco striker scored 13 Ligue 1 goals last season and has 12 goals in 30 international appearances. He was born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents living in London and, in 2023, switched his international allegiance from England, whom he had represented at the Under-21 level.
"He strikes fear into a lot of defenders," Richards said.
The host United States is seeking to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2002. The Americans lost in the Round of 16 to Ghana in 2010, Belgium in 2014 and the Netherlands in 2022. They failed to advance from the group stage in 2006 and did not qualify for the 2018 tournament.
The USSF did not make Balogun available for comment on Sunday, but he posted a picture of himself in front of U.S. fans on social media, accompanied by Michael Jackson's hit single *Bad*.
On Friday, Balogun said he believed "a yellow card instead of a red would have been fair".
FIFA said its decision was based on Article 27 of its disciplinary committee rules.
"The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure," the rule states. "By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years."
FIFA deferred the final two matches of a three-game suspension for Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo in November after a red card against Ireland in a World Cup qualifier, allowing him to play at the start of the World Cup.
Argentine defender Nicolas Otamendi and Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo also had one-match suspensions deferred in April following red cards in qualifiers, enabling them to feature in their teams' World Cup openers.
Brazilian midfielder Garrincha received a red card in the 83rd minute of the 1962 World Cup semifinal against hosts Chile for kicking an opponent but was allowed to play in the final against Czechoslovakia after a lobbying campaign that included support from Chilean President Jorge Alessandri. Brazil won the final to claim its second consecutive World Cup title.
"What about the next red card? What happens then?" Norway coach Stale Solbakken said. "Is there going to be some committee somewhere that is going to take that card away? It's a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad decision that will hurt the World Cup."
With AP inputs
United States