Trump’s Reported FIFA Intervention Casts Shadow Over USMNT’s World Cup Progress
Donald Trump reportedly made a series of direct phone calls to FIFA president Gianni Infantino in a bid to have Folarin Balogun’s one-match suspension overturned before the USA faced Belgium in the last 16 of the World Cup 2026. The extraordinary sequence of events has prompted accusations of preferential treatment and left Belgium’s camp furious.
Balogun had been handed a red card during the USMNT’s 2-0 group-stage victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, after inadvertently making contact with an opponent’s ankle whilst competing for possession. The sending-off was considered highly controversial, with widespread opinion — including from US head coach Mauricio Pochettino — that the punishment was too severe. Nonetheless, Balogun and Pochettino both appeared to accept the ban would stand, and many US supporters had resigned themselves to facing Belgium without their first-choice striker.
Then, according to reporting by The Guardian, Trump intervened. US Soccer had already been lobbying FIFA through official channels, but the president’s personal calls to Infantino appear to have coincided with a rapid reversal. FIFA announced it would suspend Balogun’s ban until after the tournament ends — citing an existing article in its own bylaws — but insisted the disciplinary process cannot be influenced by outside parties.
Few appear to be buying that explanation. Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia was scathing in his response, telling reporters that he was unaware April Fools’ Day falls in July. The Belgian federation has since confirmed it is exploring its legal options, while reaction globally has been a mixture of disbelief and anger.
FIFA had previously deferred suspensions for a small number of players — including Cristiano Ronaldo — who had earned bans before the tournament began, but The Guardian notes that doing so for a red card issued during the competition itself is entirely without precedent.
The Infantino-Trump relationship is hardly new. The FIFA chief awarded Trump a so-called